'Ghani' or CPM-- Malda to reply today

Manas R Bannerjee

MALDA, Sept. 15: Tomorrow’s Lok Sabha by-poll in Malda may have little impact on national politics, but it will definitely decide who stands where as far as Malda Lok Sabha constituency is concerned, especially in the absence of the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury In fact, this year’s by-poll in Malda is being perceived by many as a struggle among political parties ~ especially the Congress and the CPI-M ~ for their existence here. It may be recalled that in the last parliamentary election, the CPI-M had fielded a young DYFI leader, Mr Pranab Das, against the late Congress stalwart, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, in Malda. The CPI-M, then, had mocked at the age and alleged inability of the senior Congress leader, Ghani Khan Choudhury, saying “let the old leaves fall against the storm of youth.” However, Ghani Khan had proved his critics wrong by emerging victorious by a record margin of votes. In this year’s by-poll, however, it is the Malda CPI-M, which has made a U-turn by fielding veteran minister Mr Sailen Sarkar.Political observers feel that if the CPI-M candidate, Mr Sarkar, fails to wrest the Malda seat this time, his position in the party would be undermined. At the same time, this year’s by-poll will have a telling effect not only on the political future of the Malda Congress candidate, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, brother of Ghani Khan Choudhury, but also on his family’s clout over the district Congress. It may be recalled that ‘Dalu’ had failed to retain his Kaliachak Assembly seat after Ghani Khan Choudhury’s demise and has been nominated as the Congress candidate for the Malda by-poll despite his defeat. His failure in the by-poll now, it is feared, may result in the family’s loss of control over the district party unit. Reportedly, Mr AH Khan Choudhury’s sister and the Malda district Congress president, Mrs Rubi Noor, too may find her grip over the party slowly slipping away. With the Union minister, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, taking the lead in campaigning, the factional feud in the district Congress would take a new dimension. In fact, some Congress members have already started exhibiting their support for the Union parliamentary affairs minister, Mr Das Munshi. #