EC blow to Malda sabhadhipati

MALDA, April 24: Malda Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Mr Goutam Chakraborty, whose name did not find a place in the final electoral rolls, would have to leave the district at least 48 hours before the 8 May election, following an Election Commission guideline, a senior district election officer said today. The news has been a great setback for the Malda Congress, which is yet to come to terms with the demise of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. The Malda district magistrate, Mr Abhijit Choudhuri, however, said there was no such provision at all. “It is a bogus information,” the DM said. However, a senior election officer, on conditions of anonymity, said the EC would soon issue a notice to Mr Chakraborty, asking him to leave the district 48 hours before the polls on 8 May. “There are chances that Mr Chakraborty will try to influence the people before the election, using his status,” the official told The Statesman. Citing an example, he said Mr Ajit Panja, MP, was also prevented from entering the Lok Sabha segment during the by-poll for the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency. Following an objection raised by a group of CPI-M leaders, Mr Chakraborty had appeared before the SDO for a hearing and it was found that he had included his name a few years back in a village of English Bazaar by submitting false statements. When contacted, Mr Chakraborty, said the EC has so far not even informed him that his name had been deleted from the electoral rolls. # SNS