CPM hopeful in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 10: Ignoring the sentimental wave following the death of Congress stalwart, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury district CPI-M leaders today claimed that their party would capture two more seats from the Congress MLAs. Reviewing the polling trend and percentage in Kaliachak and Aridanga constituencies has enthused the CPI-M leaders, who now expect to defeat the Congress candidate, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, the brother of Ghani Khan Choudhury, and former district president, Mrs Sabitri Mitra. The late Malda MP introduced Mrs Mitra, an MLA from Aridanga to politics in 1991, after the death of her husband, who was a Congress leader. During this year’s Assembly election, Mrs Mitra was contested by Mr Sadikul Islam, the leader of the state’s College University Teachers’ Association and member of the School Service Commission. Mr AH Khan Choudhury defeated the CPI-M candidate, Mr Biswanath Ghosh, twice since 2001. Both Mr Choudhury and Mr Ghosh have contested from the Kaliachak Assembly segment this year. The district secretary of the CPI-M, Mr Jiban Moitra, said Mr Islam could regain the lost seat this time.He said there is a strong possibility that the CPI-M candidate, Mr Biswanath Ghosh, would defeat the Congress MLA, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, by nearly 10,000 votes in the Assembly election. Though Congressmen expect better results in the English Bazaar constituency this time, there are few who are uncertain about the party’s fate here.Some CPI-M leaders are, however, thinking positive about their candidate, Mr Samar Roy’s victory in the English Bazaar Assembly segment. It was learnt that some CPI-M and Left Front leaders have criticised their parties for their organisational weaknesses in the Harishchandrapur and Kharba segments, where the Forward Bloc candidate contested the Congress MLA. At Kharba, the CPI-M has fielded a woman candidate against the Congress MLA, Mr Mahababul Hoque, but is not hopeful about this seat. CPI-M leaders also reviewed the Sujapur constituency, where sister of the late Congress stalwart, Mrs Rubi Noor, contested. The CPI-M is concerned about the high percentage of polling in the Habibpur constituency, 15 per cent more than during the last Assembly election. The CPI-M leaders were amazed to learn that the party would lose control in the Gazole and Habibpur segments. The CPI-M’s district secretary claimed the party would retain three other seats in Old Malda, Ratua and Manikchak constituencies.