Nazreth brazes for high-profile contest

Kochi: Nazareth in west Kochi is one of the VIP divisions where Mr K.J. Sohan, the town planning standing committee chairman of the outgoing regime and a former mayor, is pitted  against  CPM candidate K.J. Antony, a former senior councillor. The two were in the   council when   Mr Sohan was part of the LDF.

The UDF candidate faces threat from a few  rebels while Mr Antony  has only one rebel. Several independent candidates are also are in the fray. BJP candidate T. Anand is confident of winning a substantial number of votes.

Both the UDF and the LDF candidates  are hopeful of victory in the division, which is one of  the backward areas in west Kochi. Mr  Antony, who was elected to the council in 2000 and 2005, is not scared of the heavyweight rival.  

“Being a resident of the division and in public life for nearly 40 years,  I am  close to each  family here and  know their issues. The presence of rebels and the tag of outsider will impact the prospects of the UDF candidate,”  he said.

The area has six colonies where better sanitation, implementing housing schemes and resolving water logging are the major topics. “Though some housing schemes have been proposed for the colony dwellers, nothing has materialised,” said the Left candidate.

Meanwhile,  Mr Sohan, who also served as development committee chairman and health committee chairman during his long stint with the  corporation, claimed that though he is an outsider, he has personal relationship with most of the voters in Nazareth. “Proper housing facilities for the colony residents and better sanitation are the major  issues  in the division,” he said.