KOZHIKODE: A residents’ association here has decided to boycott the Assembly polls over the failure of political parties to support the residents’ movement against the construction of a private hospital by filling a paddy field. The Kudumbam Residents’ Welfare Association at Edakkad in the city took this decision in its annual general body meeting held on Monday.
A consortium of four residents’ associations in the area has been protesting against the construction of a super-specialty hospital for the last five years. From June 2014 to June 2015 they conducted an indefinite protest in front of the hospital construction site.
“Despite our protests, no political parties except the local leadership of the BJP helped us or expressed solidarity with us. All the parties which had promised to take up the issue during the Lok Sabha election kept mum after the polls. The sitting MLA himself is sponsored by the hospital owner,” alleged association president M.C. Sudesh Kumar.
The protest ceased after the court ruling in favour of the management. The association even fielded an independent candidate in East Hill ward during the civic polls, who grabbed over 1,000 votes which resulted in the victory of the LDF in the Congress citadel.
