Parties step up campaign in Malda, race on

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 12: The Congress and CPI-M candidates have started campaigning in a big way in both North and South Malda parliamentary constituencies. With loudspeakers blaring in the background, the opponents criticised each other in an effort to reach out to the voters.

The Congress candidate for the North Malda constituency, Miss Mausam Noor has camped at Chanchal for three days to cover Harishchandrapur I & II, Chanchal I & II and Ratua I. Yesterday, she covered more than 20 polling stations in Chanchal areas and addressed a rally at Arbara in Chanchal last evening.

Yesterday, at Jagannathpur in Chanchal, Miss Noor said: “The CPI-M workers are scared after seeing my enormous support base. To prevent my supporters from joining my rally, the CPI-M workers have started threatening them and to please them, they are distributing cloths, rice and money”.

Appealing to the masses, Miss Noor said that after her mother's (Rubi Noor) death, she had to contest from Sujapur. "I wanted to work for the people of Sujapur but Mrs Sonia Gandhi selected me to contest for the North Malda constituency. As Priya Ranjan Das Munshi is unable to contest for the polls, I am here in his place. I need your blessings and support, so that we retain the LS seat”, she said.

Not wanting to be left out, the CPI-M candidate Mr Sailen Sarkar, is trying his best to garner a win in the North Malda constituency. Today, he organised a road show at Gazole. The senior CPI-M leaders said: “The Congress is trying hard to get sympathy votes."

Meanwhile, addressing a workers meeting at Ramnagar in Kliachak III today, the CPI-M candidate for the South Malda constituency, Dr Abdur Razzaque, said: “ The present Malda MP and the contesting candidate Mr A H Khan Choudhury is banking on the the sympathy for his brother A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury but he did nothing for the people of this area in the last two and half years. He has also failed to utilize funds allotted for MPLAD".

In reply to Dr Abdur Razzaque's claims, Mr A H Khan Choudhury said: “ My brother A B Ghani Khan Choudhury believed in development. We are also trying hard to develop our areas in the interest of the people. We did a lot to solve the problem of erosion and the Centre has sanctioned huge funds for it."

He was addressing a youth Congress workers’ meeting at Dhulian in Murshidabad today.