Ghani unhappy with Cong decision over candidates' names

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 20. — It’s not just the Congress workers in Manikchak and English Bazaar, even the Congress stalwart and the Malda MP, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, is unhappy with the finalisation of Congress candidates for the 10 Assembly constituencies of Malda district. This, despite the fact that Mr Khan Choudhury was a key player in finalising the candidates’ names. Political observers said that by nominating Mohd Jalil in Manikchak, Mr Phani Roy in English Bazaar (tentatively) and Mr Samar Mukherjee in Ratua, the Malda Congress has almost paved the way for the CPI-M candidates to emerge victorious from these constituencies. “The Malda Zilla Parishad, ruled by the Congress-Trinamul-BJP combine, may face a crisis if the CPI-M candidates win in Assembly polls and get voting rights in the MZP,” a political observer said here. A group of Congress leaders, though, is happy with the two names — the debutant Mohd Jalil and Mr Phani Roy. Mr Roy was defeated as a Trinamul Congress candidate from Old Malda in the last Assembly election and political observers here feel that he would not be able to defeat the CPI-M candidate in English Bazaar this year, too.Some Congress leaders said the party would have fared better in Ratua this year had Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi’s wife, Mrs Dipa Das Munshi, been given a ticket, instead of Mr Samar Mukherjee . The CPI-M has fielded its heavyweight leader, Mr Sailen Sarkar, in Ratua constituency. “Mr Khan Choudhury had recommended the name of Mr Ram Prabesh Mandal, a former Congress MLA, for Manikchak seat, to garner the support of the Hindu community. But his suggestion was turned down by the party leaders,” a Congress MLA said. Mr Khan Choudhury was shocked after the declaration of three names of Trinamul candidates, including that of Mr KN Choudhury from English Bazaar.