Cong , BJP one

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 7. — At a time when the Congress in Malda has chalked out a plan not to split anti-Left Front votes expecting to bag at least nine Assembly seats out of 11 in Malda district, the Left Front leaders have alleged that the Congress is forming an alliance with the BJP in the district unofficially, just to retain their seats. A senior Congress leader in Malda , said: “By 20 March they will finalise the names of their candidates for Assembly seats with an adjustment with other two political parities, the Trinamul Congress and the BJP here to turn all anti-Left votes in their box in this district.” “Strategically we can not disclose the plan which has been formulated here now but we expect that we will bag at least nine out of 11 seats,” the Congress leader said. Speaking to this correspondent, even the Congress leader did not hint about their candidate in English Bazaar. “We are talking to other parties to finalise candidates in few seats. The winning congress candidates in five Assembly seats will contest in their respective segments. And the rest will be finalised soon,” he said. It was learnt that the district president of Malda Congress , Mrs Rubi Noor wants to field a Congress candidate in English Bazaar seat , considering its importance as a head quarter of the district but the Congress leaders who want to regain the seat are preferring “hire and fire” policy inducting the Trinamul district president Mr. K N Chowdhury. Till date, the Malda MP has not finalised the seat adjustment in English Bazaar , though Mr. K N Chowdhury is now very close attachment with him but a hardcore group of congress leaders here not interested to prefer the Trinamul leader in English Bazaar. On the other hand , in a secret meeting with the BJP and the Congress in presence of some Trinamul leaders it was decided that the Congress will not eye Habibpur, presently a BJP dominated Assembly constituency, and the BJP can field its candidate there without any problem. In the discussion it was also noted that the BJP vote bank will also help regain one seat in Manikchak and on the other than such a vote bank would make a wining margin in Sujapur where Mrs Rubi Noor will contest as a Congress candidate. The Malda Congress has decided to adjust with the two anti-Left parties here for Gazole and Old Malda, where the BJP has a certain percentage of votes for Assembly election. “We would not contest in two seats , Gazole and Habibpur , where there is no strong base of our own,” Mrs. Rubi Noor told reporters. But the CPI-M district secretary said that people will cast their votes in favour of the CPM. #

FB leader in Congress camp

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March. 7. — Mr Khoka Orano, a Malda Zilla Parishad member belonging to the Forward Bloc, has joined hands with the Congress-led MZP after having lost faith in the Left Front, the sabhadhipati of MZP, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, said today. Mr Chakraborty claimed that Mr Orano has already circulated leaflets in the Harishchandrapur I block informing the people about his decision. As per the Congress sabhadhipati , Mr Orano has said that the CPI-M led Harishchandrapur Panchayat Samiti has not executed any development work in the block and all suggestions and proposals for development was ignored by the CPI-M led panchayat samiti. While Left Front leaders, particularly the CPI-M organised political programmes in the Harishchandrapur Assembly segment today, sources said that the Congress have come up with an issue based on the statement made by Mr Orano and the local Congress leaders are planning to cash in on the situation, in favour of their nominated candidate Mr Mostaq Alam, before the Assembly elections. Neither the CPI-M district leaders nor the Forward Bloc leaders were available to comment on this issue. The leaflets circulated in the Harishchandrapur area, has however, raised a call for an interrogation. The leaflets were circulated in this area and even in the Malda town. A senior Left Front leader said that it is not clear who circulated the leaflet. Mr Orano was not available to comment, while the Congress claims that he has extended his cooperation to the Congress led MZP. The party members have further disclosed that it is not possible for him to quit party and join the Congress right now following the anti-defection law. It may be noted that the former state minister and former MLA belonging to Forward Bloc, Mr Birendra Maitra, will not contest this year. It was reported that another Muslim candidate has been nominated against the present Congress MLA, Mr Mostaq Alam, in Harishchandrapur. This year the CPI-M has given special attention to the Harishchandrapur Assembly constituency to regain the seat. In the last elections, Mr Maitra had raised a complaint against the Congress candidate alleging him for raising communal issues there.