Congerss hails Mamata gesture

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug. 28: Malda Congress leaders have expressed their happiness over the Trinamul supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee’s decision to support them in the Malda by-poll, ignoring the party’s official alliance with the BJP. Miss Banerjee today announced in Kolkata that her party would support the Congress candidate in Malda “to pay their last respect to the late Congress leader, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury”. It may, however, be noted that family members of the late Ghani Khan Choudhury, after nominating Mr AH Khan Choudhury as Congress candidate for Malda by-poll, had requested the Trinamul chief to refrain from supporting BJP or nominate any Trinamul Congress candidate here. The Congress leaders took this decision after a group of Congress workers left the party under the leadership of Mr Prakash Singhee, expecting to get a ticket from Trinamul Congress for the Malda by-poll. Miss Mamata Banerjee’s decision to support the Congress in the Malda by-poll, on the other hand, has disappointed both state and the district leaders of BJP.

Mamata paves way for Cong in Malda
Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Aug. 28: The relationship between NDA allies Trinamul Congress and BJP suffered a major setback today after Trinamul Congress chief Ms Mamata Banerjee decided not to field any candidate for the Malda Lok Sabha by-election and requested the BJP to withdraw its nominee. The seat fell vacant following the death of ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury and by-elections are likely to be held in September. The Congress has fielded Mr AHA Khan Chowdhury, brother of Ghani Khan Chowdhury, as its candidate, while the Left Front’s candidate is Mr Sailen Sarkar, the state’s parliamentary affairs minister. Ms Banerjee said Mr Khan Chowdhury’s family had requested her not to field a Trinamul candidate from Malda. She said she had acceded to the request as she wanted a “one-on-one contest in Malda”, which Ghani Khan Chowdhury had always hoped for. It will be recalled that no seat adjustment between Congress and Trinamul Congress took place before the last Assembly poll as Ms Banerjee refused to leave the NDA fold at the time. When contacted in Delhi, state BJP president Mr Tathagata Roy ruled out the possibility of withdrawing his party’s candidate. He wondered aloud how “Ms Banerjee, an NDA ally, could help a Congress candidate to win the seat. Ms Banerjee should not help a Congress candidate win a Lok Sabha seat.” Trinamul Congress leader Mr Saugata Roy will contest the Bongaon Assembly by-election on 16 September. Announcing this at a meeting to celebrate the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad’s foundation day at the University Institute this morning Ms Banerjee said: “We wanted a strong candidate for this seat.” Mr Roy lost to the state PWD minister Mr Kshiti Goswami from the Dhakuria Assembly seat in the last Assembly poll. Mr Roy’s nomination has evoked a mixed response.

BJP charts out issues for Malda bypoll
Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, August 28: The state BJP will make infiltration, and erosion election issues in the ensuing Malda Lok Sabha by-election. Mr Tathagata Roy, state BJP president, said today at a Press conference. The party has projected Mr Biswapriya Roy Chowdhury as the candidate from Malda. He said that for past 30 years CPI-M has done nothing to control erosion in Malda and thousands have become homeless and destitute after losing property. He said, CPI-M leaders from Malda were not serious about the issue. Moreover, he alleged that due to infiltration across the border there is a total demographic change but at the same time he emphasised that BJP has a fair chance to win, this year. This is because after the death of AB Gani Khan Chowdhury, there is a void in the Congress party and the BJP may gain the anti-Left votes. The state BJP president alleged that fencing across the border is not done properly and infiltration takes place. Asked whether CPI-M has a better chance to win the Lok Sabha seat, Mr Roy said that BJP has some strong pockets in Malda. He said Mr MA Kharabela Swain, MP from Balasore was appointed observer for the ensuing election. Yesterday, they discussed at length about the election strategy and Mr Swain said that there is possibility that in future BJP will emerge as the Opposition party in future as Congress has stopped functioning as Opposition in the state. Mr Roy also said that his party will also protest against UPA government’s politics on Vande Mataram and Kudhiram who was described as terrorist instead of martyr in history text books.