Opp in a fix over seat in English Bazaar

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March. 2. — The three main Opposition parties Congress, Trinamul and the BJP are still undecided about whom to field to contest aginst the sitting CPI-M MLA, Mr Samar Roy, in the English Bazaar Assembly constituency even as the election date has been announced. Political observers, meanwhile, are hopeful that the Opposition parties, under the leadership of veteran Congress leader Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, would give Mr Roy a run for his money in the upcoming election. Even Mr Ghani Khan has not ruled out the possibility of a grand alliance, at least in the English Bazaar constituency. However, his sister, Mrs Rubi Noor, who is also an MLA and the district president of Congress, informed reporters that the decision to make an alliance with the Trinamul and the BJP in the district is unchanged. People’s interest in the English Bazaar Assembly segment is mounting up because it is learnt that the district Trinamul president, Mr KN Chowdhury, might join the Congress to contest against the CPI-M, as per the choice of the Malda MP. In the last Assembly elections, Mr KN Chowdhury was the Trinamul Congress candidate in the English Bazaar, not only against the CPI-M, but also against the Congress candidate, Mr Goutam Chakraborty. The CPI-M candidate, as a result, had easily won the seat because the total anti-Left votes in the constituency was divided. “My contesting against Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury in the last Assembly elections was a mistake, which I have decided not to repeat”, Mr KN Chowdhury, Trinamul district president, told The Statesman’s correspondent. He further added: “I paid the cost for the mistake made by me. From now on, I will adhere to the political decisions directed by the Congress veteran leader, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury”. Mr KN Chowdhury seemed reluctant to comment on the official relation between the Trinamul Congress and the BJP here and any seat adjustment between the official allies. “I am not aware about the seat adjustments between the Trinamul and BJP in Malda. There are many top brass leaders in Kolkata, who will decide on the matter”, the Trinamul leader said. He further said: “I will do whatever Barkat-da tells me to do”. Interestingly, he did not mention the name of Mamata Banerjee. It was learnt that an understanding has been made between Mr K N Chowdhury and Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. Reportedly, the Trinamul leader has assured Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury that he would not go against the Malda MP. While many Congress workers believe that Mr K N Chowdhury would be the Congress candidate in the English Bazaar Assembly segment, reportedly, the decision is being opposed by a group of Congress leaders. A leader of Trinamul Congress, Mr Dulal Sarkar, recently announced that Mr K N Chowdhury would be the Trinamul’s candidate for English Bazaar. Mr Chowdhury, however, said he was not aware of any such announcement. Mr Dulal Sarkar would the candidate for the Old Malda constituency and is seeking support from the Congress to form an alliance against the sitting CPI-M MLA, Mr Subhendu Chowdhuri. Though, the Malda Congress had announced that Mr Phani Roy would be the Congress candidate for Old Malda, yet, no final decision has been taken. Mr Roy is a former Congress MLA and was also defeated as the Trinamul candidate by CPI-M in last Assembly election. Although, the Malda CPI-M is confident to win the English Bazaar seat if there is one to one to contest, but, they believe that another third force as contesting candidate would help them bag the seat easily. It is learnt that if the Trinamul Congress does not nominate candidate for English Bazaar or if Mr KN Chowdhury gets the Congress ticket, the Malda BJP would field its candidate in English Bazaar.