Beena Philip may not contest in local body polls

Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip is unlikely to contest the upcoming local elections. Responding to a question about his second term at a press conference here on Friday, the Mayor dismissed the idea with a smile. “How old do you think I am? Let the new generation come,” he said.

Retired teacher Ms. Philip has been the national and international face of Kozhikode, known as the City of Truth, for the past five years since she assumed office as its Mayor. Well-educated, well-read, amiable and knowledgeable, but without the airs of a politician, Ms. Philip was a handpicked candidate for the post by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). [CPI(M)] in the region. He managed to carry the name of the city to larger platforms and make a new name around the world.

The city’s recognition by UNESCO as the ‘City of Literature’ may be one of his greatest achievements during his strenuous tenure. The label resonated with the sentiments of not only the intellectuals but also the ordinary people of the city and became a matter of pride for the citizens.

Beena Philip has managed to overcome the public’s distrust of politicians in general with her clean image. Therefore, the requests and suggestions on behalf of the Institution were better received and accepted by the public. However, he was frequently subject to controversy due to his frank and heart-moving statements that were considered unbecoming of a communist leader or contradictory to the party’s official stance. He learned to be more careful with his expressions at work.

Although he has not actively entertained the idea of ​​serving another term in the corporation, he is reportedly one of the candidates to contest from Kozhikode North constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections. If all goes well, he could replace his predecessor Thottathil Raveendran in the Mayor’s seat as MLA.