Demand to delete name of Congress sabhadhipati

MALDA. March.23. — A group of villagers of Milky in English Bazaar, backed by the CPI-M have demanded deletion of the name of the Congress sabhadhipati, chief of the district board, as “shifted voter” from the electoral roll and decided to lodge a fresh complaint with the Election Commission having lost faith in the district election officials today. It is a “bolt from the blue” for the Congress when the party is in a dilemma to nominate a suitable candidate for English Bazaar Assembly segment against the CPI-M till date. It may be recalled that the Congress sabhadhipati, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, was one of the proposed candidates for English Bazaar Assembly segment and he was elected as zilla parishad member being a resident of a village in English Bazaar after deleting his name from the electoral roll in English Bazaar town. CPI-M-backed villagers had lodged a complaint with the election officials about the matter when the election officials had given a note that “Mr Chakraborty was not found in his address mentioned in the voters’ list” during the door-to-door visit for electoral roll revision. In the complaint, villagers had mentioned that he was a resident of English Bazaar town where he and his family members live, based on electoral roll. In order to authenticate the information, they had mentioned some records about his existence at Puratuli Bandh Road in English Bazaar town and submitted documents of official records of his car diary (log book) where it was found that he was permanently residing at English Bazaar town. Today, the SDO conducted a hearing on this issue, where the sabhadhipati was absent, and reportedly said that “his name would not be deleted from the electoral roll.” The CPI-M leaders demanded a written statement from the SDO and decided to lodge a fresh complaint with the EC.“We are looking into the matter,” said Mr BP Barat, the additional district magistrate. Mr Goutam Chakraborty said: “Five CPI-M men had lodged a complaint with the Malda election officials against me. I have submitted all documents in favour of me being a resident of a village. Now it is up to the Election Commission to decide. I have good faith in the EC.” — SNS

Policemen injured as villagers clash in Malda
MALDA, March 23. — Four policemen were injured while trying to bring the situation under control at Nehalpur in Malda’s Chanchal police station area, where people of two villages clashed with each other this evening. According to police, the two groups of villagers had been at loggerheads over the right of a road that leads to a graveyard, with both groups staking claim for the road. The situation turned violent this evening, with the two groups hurling crude bombs targeting each other. The police had to fire four rounds in the open to disperse the mob. Senior police officials have rushed to Nehalpur as tension prevailed in the two villages after the incident. — SNS