Malda by-poll campaign ends

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept. 14: Political parties including Congress and the Left Front today ended its last campaign in English Bazaar town for Malda LS by-poll scheduled on 16 September. The Congress took out a big rally showcasing its candidate Mr AH Khan Choudhury in an open jeep along with another vehicle which was decorated with a series of photographs of the late MP, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. The Congress rally was accompanied by the Union minister I&B Mr PR Das Munshi, and former mayor of Kolkata Corporation, Mr Subrata Mukherjee and other top leaders from the state and districts. Similarly the CPIM and Left Front leaders took out several rallies to project their candidate Mr Sailen Sarkar, a senior CPI-M leader and state minister, across the Malda constituency. Several state level leaders were present including sports minister Mr Subhas Chakraborty to campaign for him. Mr Sarkar today ended his last campaign in Kaliachak and Sujapur areas where the late ABA Ghani Khan had had the last word always. Mr Sarkar today sent a message to the people via a local cable network channel saying why he was contesting in the poll and why people should cast votes against the brother of Ghani Khan in this by-poll. Mr Sarkar today called a press meet in the evening at the district party office to counter the Congress propaganda. On the other hand, the BJP candidate, Mr Biswapriya Roy Choudhury is playing the Hindu card to increase the percentage of votes in this by-poll criticising both the CPI-M and the Congress. The Congress today countered the CPI-M, reacting on some leaflets circulated by a group belonging to the CPI-M here expounding on the present top congress leaders’ bitter relation with the late Malda MP, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury.

Security beefed up

MALDA, Sept. 14: A total of 180 buses left for Murshidabad, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and the northern part of Malda to pick up polling personnel to conduct Malda by-poll scheduled on 16 September, officials said. The district magistrate said that thousands of polling personnel from three districts will arrive here by 10.30 a.m. on Friday. Polling personnel will move from the Malda Polytechnic on Friday about 12.30 p.m. The polling personnel will be informed of their duties at the last moment when they will get final appointment letters just before their departure, said the district magistrate, Mr Chittaranjan Das. Special arrangements have been made for sending polling personnel to 59 remote polling stations in blocks where the polling personnel will move in advance separately. Besides motor vehicles, boats and bullock carts would be employed to cross rivers and muddy roads, he added. A total of 700 vehicles have been arranged for sending thousands of polling staff including the armed security personnel to different polling stations. There is also a communication network set up by the sector office with patrolling vans to monitor the situation and help stranded polling personnel to reach their destinations. “This is for the first time that we have circulated a guide line of the EC in Bengali and Hindi for the armed constables to elucidate what they are supposed to do on polling duty to maintain uniformity between the state armed police forces and the Central paramilitary forces,” said the district magistrate, Mr Chittaranjan Das. “Election commission instructed that the state and Central forces should perform their duty with the uniform guideline of the commission,” he added. There is also a notice to be displayed on the wall of each polling station for those without electoral photo identity cards describing the 13 alternative identity cards, the DM said. He added: “ Probably there is none in Malda constituency without those cards. We have already delivered 650 new electoral photo identity cards to all the applicants.” #