UDF manifesto gives thrust to FIFA-standard stadium, metro revival, and tech hub

Constructing a FIFA-standard international stadium, restoring encroached Corporation lands, modernising markets, improving waste management, and implementing an AI traffic signal system are among the proposals mooted by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in its election manifesto for the Kozhikode Corporation.

The manifesto, ‘UDF to lead, Kozhikode to leap’, unveiled by Indian Union Muslim League national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty on Friday (December 5), promised free bus travel within the Corporation limits for women and people with disabilities, as well as free electricity and drinking water for eligible households. Students would receive free insurance, laptops, and bicycles under the proposed schemes.

One of the key highlights of the manifesto is the revival of the Kozhikode light metro project, which was earlier approved during the Oommen Chandy government but later stalled.

Addressing the media, Mr. Kunhalikutty criticised the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for “halting the development of Kozhikode” and claimed that several major projects approved earlier had been left unfinished. The UDF’s manifesto was framed as a corrective roadmap to restore the city’s growth momentum, he added.

The manifesto also proposes an IT Park under the Corporation, job fairs in collaboration with the public and private sectors, and a new satellite city named after the Zamorin. Significant cultural initiatives include establishing a world-class cultural museum and film institute in honour of late writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair, launching an international literature festival, and redeveloping the Kozhikode beach along the Marina model. The plans also include heritage projects in Valiyangadi, a spice museum, a timber museum, and the digitisation of all libraries.

The manifesto also takes a firm stand on corruption, transparent tendering, and probes into alleged financial irregularities over the past two decades. The health proposals include free cancer screening for women above 35, improved primary health centres, free dialysis kits for eligible patients, and an air-ambulance support system. Overall, the document positions Kozhikode as a future ‘youth vibe city’, blending heritage preservation with new development goals.