Battle hots up for Malda by-poll

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 26: Mr Abu Nasser Khan Choudhury, brother of the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, who had contested against his brother in 1998, would bargain with Congress chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to nominate a member of the Ghani Khan family in the Malda parliamentary by-poll. Rumours also abound about lobbyists trying to nominate a Congress candidate for the Malda parliamentary by-poll this year. After returning from Switzerland yesterday, Mr Abu Nasser Khan Choudhury, attended “Chalisa”, the final funeral programme held for his late brother at Kotwali today and said his family had unanimously decided to nominate the other brother of the late Ghani Khan Choudhury, Mr A H Khan Choudhury, for the Malda parliamentary by-poll. Reportedly, Mr Abu Nasser Khan too had expressed a desire to contest for the Malda parliamentary seat. However, speaking to the reporters today, Mr Abu Nasser Khan Choudhury said: “My family members have decided to nominate Mr AH Khan Choudhury for the Malda parliamentary seat to fulfil the dream of the late veteran Congress leader.” Mrs Rubi Noor, the district president of the Malda Congress, said: “We will send the name of Mr AH Khan Choudhury to Mrs Sonia Gandhi for the verdict.” There had been a “family-cum-property clash” between Ghani Khan Choudhury and Mr Abu Nasser Khan to such an extent that the matter was taken to the court. To take revenge, Mr Abu Nasser Khan had contested against Ghani Khan, in the Malda parliamentary election but failed to secure a decent number of votes. “The altercation is a thing of the past. Now, we three brothers and our sister (Mrs Rubi Noor) are united and will take all decisions unanimously,” Mr Nasser Khan said. It was learnt that Mr Abu Hasem Khan alias Daloo, another brother of late Ghani Khan Choudhury, who served as an MLA for two terms and was defeated from the Kaliachak Assembly seat this year, would also contest in the Malda parliamentary by poll. English Bazaar Congress MLA Mr Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury informed reporters that Mr AH Khan Choudhury would contest in the by-poll as the heir of late Ghani Khan Choudhury. A group of Congress leaders wanted to project the district Congress president, Mrs Rubi Noor, for the parliamentary seat despite protests from other Congress workers, who had shouldered the responsibility of Ghani Khan Choudhury’s election. “Mrs Rubi Noor is discharging her duty as the district Congress president superbly. If she wins the parliamentary seat, she will stand out as being the only female MP from a minority community to be in national politics. There would be a chance of a ministerial berth and that would strengthen the Congress in Malda again,” argued supporters of Mrs Rubi Noor . Expressing dissatisfaction over Mr Abu Nasser Khan’s desire to contest for the Malda parliamentary election, some Congressmen said: “ Even though Mr Abu Nasser Khan’s name is enlisted in the English Bazaar and New Delhi electoral roll, how can he contest from here after being an NRI. Will the Malda people accept him as a successor of Ghani Khan Choudhury?