Kozhikode, Kerala: As the mercury rises in the final week of the 2026 Kerala Assembly Election campaign, the historic streets of Kozhikode South have become a theatre of high-stakes political drama. In the narrow alleys of Valiyangadi and the bustling corridors of SM Street, a “new voice” is echoing — one that seeks to blend the ancient maritime legacy of the city with a futuristic digital ecosystem.
Advocate Fyzal Babu, the National Assistant Secretary of the IUML and the UDF candidate for Kozhikode South, is a man who defies easy categorisation. In a candid conversation, the lawyer-turned-activist laid out a comprehensive vision that he calls a manifesto for a new Calicut. It is a plan that prioritises not just the hardware of bridges and roads, but the software of social harmony and human resource development.
The Lawyer with a Social Pulse
For many, Fyzal Babu is a familiar face in the Kerala’s public sphere or the backstreets of distant Indian states where he has often travelled as a human rights defender. But to the voters of Kozhikode South, he presents himself as a self-made man who began his journey in a Malayalam-medium government school. By profession a lawyer and by passion an activist, his journey has led him across thirty states of India, serving victims of social injustice and providing scholarships for those living behind the curtain in urban slums.
His personal life is deeply rooted in the city he seeks to represent, credited to the support of his wife, Dr Hajara, and their three children. Describing himself as a social healer, Babu’s political philosophy is rooted in the Idea of India — a concept he believes speaks to people of different identities living harmoniously in a common space.
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Beyond Saturated Cities
One of the most striking aspects of Babu’s promises is his focus on the knowledge economy. He argues that Kerala’s traditional IT hubs, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, have reached a point of saturation. He asserts that Calicut is the next logical destination for the tech industry, possessing a wealth of talented youth and a generation ready to lead. However, his vision of an IT hub is not merely a collection of glass-fronted buildings; he envisions a holistic human resource ecosystem.
Drawing on his experience with educational NGOs, Babu proposes a radical shift in the public education system of his constituency. He believes schools and colleges must be converted into centres of excellence and HR training centres rather than just institutions providing basic certificates. He intends to integrate teachers, students, and the local community to treat the populace as the city’s greatest resource.
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The Light Metro as a Traffic Solution
Addressing the logistical nightmare that has gripped the city, Fyzal Babu identifies traffic congestion as a primary hurdle to Calicut’s growth. He proposes the implementation of the Light Metro as the cornerstone of his urban mobility plan. Noting that the city’s current roads are often choked and parking is nearly impossible, he envisions an elevated transit system that seamlessly connects the northern and southern hubs.
The Light Metro, according to Babu, is not just a luxury but a necessity to rescue Calicut from its daily gridlock. By providing a reliable, high-speed public transport alternative, he aims to reduce the volume of private vehicles on the road, thereby easing the pressure on narrow city arteries. This project, coupled with proposed common-pooling bus systems and improved pedestrian walkways, forms a multi-layered strategy to make the city commute-friendly for everyone from tech professionals to daily labourers.
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The Entrepreneurial Revolution
Babu notes a significant cultural shift in the youth of Kozhikode, observing a transition from an employee mindset to an employer mindset. He points to the proliferation of boutique cafes, fashion stores, and innovative start-ups run by professionals like engineers and architects who choose entrepreneurship over traditional roles. To support this, he promises to establish business incubation centres and mentoring programmes, believing that the legacy of Valliangadi provides the perfect cultural foundation for a modern start-up ecosystem.
Regarding the city’s infrastructure, Babu uses a technological metaphor to describe his governance model. He views the hardware as the physical city and the software as its communal harmony. From the Gujarati and Bohra communities to the historic Mishkal Palli and Tali Temple, he sees a microcosm of the entire country. He maintains that the city must be a secure and comfortable space where every identity feels at home.
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Fixing the Hardware
Babu is scathing in his critique of the current administration of Kozhikode Corporation, which has dominated the city’s corporation for decades. He points to the recurring issues of drainage and flooding that leave citizens stranded in their homes every rainy season. His priority remains a scientific drainage system and barrier-free infrastructure where citizens can navigate the streets with dignity.
He also highlights the logistics crisis, noting that while thousands of lorries enter the city daily, parking and resting shelters for drivers remain nearly non-existent. For a city that breathes football, the long-term closure of the local stadium is, in Babu’s view, a symbol of development failure. He suggests that the current representation has failed to deliver despite holding key portfolios in the ministry over the last several years.
The Corniche Dream
Kozhikode is already celebrated as a UNESCO City of Literature, but Babu wants to add City of Happiness and City of Design to its titles. His plan for the South Beach involves a world-class redesign inspired by the international standards of Middle Eastern waterfronts. He has already initiated discussions with the architects to transform the beach into a ventilation space for the city—a space of harmony and togetherness.
This plan includes showcasing Malabar cuisine alongside global flavours and implementing urban forests to combat rising heat and humidity. By using unused urban spaces for greenery, he aims to improve air quality and the general well-being of the residents. As the election nears, Babu, a man who considers Dr BR Ambedkar as his role model and likes Mohanlal and Paulo Coehlo, is positioning himself as the catalyst for a new age, promising to be not just a representative, but a brother and friend to the people of Kozhikode.
Adv Fyzal Babu is up against the sitting MLA Ahmad Deverkovil of LDF and T Raneesh of NDA in one Kerala’s closely observed contests for the upcoming assembly.
Politically, it has long been a bastion for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the UDF, famously represented by Dr. MK Muneer (son of former Chief Minister CH Mohammed Koya) between 2011 and 2021. The political leanings shifted significantly in the 2021 Assembly elections when Ahamed Devarkovil of the Indian National League (INL), an LDF ally, wrested the seat from the IUML, marking a rare breach in the UDF’s urban stronghold.
