Hamidur gets Sujapur bypoll ticket

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 18 OCT: Following the controversy that broke out after Mr Abu Nasser Khan Choudhury’s name, as a Congress candidate for Sujapur bypolls, was scrapped, the AICC finally announced the name of Mr Hamidur Rahman as the candidate for the polls following the recommendation of South Malda MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury.

Under conditions of anonymity, a section of Congress leaders explained that Mr AN Khan Choudhury, brother of MP Mr AH Khan Chouhury, had been a victim of "family conspiracy" where a few Congress leaders wanted to mislead him.

“He will contest the by-polls as an Independent candidate if his name is included in the electoral rolls”, they said.

A disappointed AN Khan Choudhury said: “I have been victimised and misled repeatedly by a group of leaders. I will explain everything in details after 21 October, which is the last date of filing nomination”. Mr Khan Choudhury deposited the required amount of money to Malda treasury on Friday for collecting nomination papers, but said that he was clueless as to why his brother finally did not recommend his name as the candidate for Sujapur by-polls.

“I decided to deposit the money following the assurance from my brother".

“Large sections of people in the Sujapur Assembly segment want me as the candidate but the party nominated Mr Hamidur Rahman. He contested as the CPI-M candidate against my sister Rubi Noor in Sujapur,” he said.

However, state Congress leader Mr Pradip Bhattacharya told the Malda Congress leaders Mr Rahman's name was the only one proposed for Sujapur.

It was reported that Mr Hassan Ali Shah and Mr Mostaque Alam, the two district Congress committee leaders, had sent the name from the Malda Congress office.

Mr Ali Shah was the legal advisor of Mr AN Khan Choudhury here.

The working president of Malda Congress, Mrs Sabitri Mitra said: “I was of the idea that Mr AN Khan Choudhury was the proposed candidate. Now Mr AH Khan Choudhury alone would be able to explain why the AICC has nominated Mr Hamidur Rahman.”

Mr Rahman came into the fray as a dummy candidate though many leaders did not accept him in the last meeting convened by the working president of Malda Congress party.

Mr AN Khan Choudhury is awaiting the hearing that is to be called by the Malda SDO after 19 October for including his name in the voters’ list.