SFI retains Pukuhat College students’ union in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 5 JAN: Swimming against the tide, the SFI has succeeded in retaining the students’ union in Pakuahaat College in Malda district. The SFI won 12 out of 18 seats in the taking competing against the Chhatra Parishad and Trinamul Chhatra Parishad alliance.

The outcome, however, left a bloody trail behind as clashes broke out at random between the SFI and CP supporters outside the college campus last night during counting despite the presence of a large police force. The police had to lathi charge at times to disperse the warring factions.

Trouble broke out after both the SFI and CP demanded recounting in a number of seats, as the results were almost neck and neck.

The CP, which expected to wrest the students’ union from the SFI this year at Pakuahaat College was particularly intense in its recount demands.

While the CP demanded recounting of all first year seats, the SFI demanded recounting for all third year classes. Chhatra Parishad leader Mr Madhumay Sarkar alleged that the college authority had initially declared the CP the winner but went back on the verdict to declare the SFI winner after the latter pressed for a recount. “Our appeal for a recount was, however, ignored,” he added.

Declared victorious, the SFI supporters left the college but the CP supporters squatted expressing dissatisfaction against the college authority, ignoring an appeal from the police to vacate the area. The police had to lathicharge to disperse them.

The Pakuahaat College principal Mr Atin Bhattacharya denied knowledge of clashes outside the college premises. “We do not know about clashes outside the college campus.

“Our election committee accepted applications for recounting submitted both by the SFI and CP. There was no error in announcing the results. The results were same after recounting,” he claimed.