BJP seeks VHP aid to retain Malda vote bank

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 19: To check the trend whereby former BJP supporters and voters are thinking of casting their votes either for the Congress or the CPI-M candidate in North Malda parliamentary seat, the district BJP leaders have sought the help of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Malda's BJP and VHP leaders have marked out some specific areas ~ mainly North-Malda parliamentary constituency ~ to be covered in a planned Sant Yatra in order to check the swing trend.

In the last few days the BJP's candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency ~ Mr Amlan Bhaduri ~ was worried about a change of mood in its party's vote bank due to the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor's impressive election campaigning in the Hindu-dominated belt like Gazole, Bamongola, Habibpur and Old Malda. According to Mr Asim Chakraborty, a BJP state committee leader, the Sant Yatra will cover a part of South Malda parliamentary constituency and in many places in North Malda parliamentary constituency from 21 April to 23 April. The rally will leave for North Dinajpur on 24 April.

In North Malda parliamentary seat, the Sant Yatra will campaign for the BJP candidate Mr Amlan Bhaduri, at Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur, Chanchal, Gazole, Nalagola, Pakuahaat,

Though the Malda district BJP leaders have planned to bring Mr Narendra Modi for campaigning in Gazole, but his visit is yet to be scheduled. Mr Amlan Bhaduri admitted the problem of the present swing trend among BJP voters and said: “Our forces have been mobilised to check the trend and some weak spots are being restored”. On the other hand, the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor, is campaigning from one tribal village to another one taking part with the folk dance organised by the tribal women with traditional colourful dresses even in red bastion.

Miss Noor's impressive election campaigning has created panic among the CPI-M workers in Gazole and Habibpur villages where the Left Front candidates used to get decent leading margin taking on the BJP candidates in recent past.