Cong, Trinamul meeting over seat sharing in civic polls

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 30 MARCH: The South Malda Congress MP and the party’s district president, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, has finally agreed to meet the Trinamul Congress district president, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, on the issue of seat sharing for the Old Malda and English Bazaar Municipality elections likely in May.

According to Mr Chakraborty, Mr Khan Choudhury has agreed to listen to the Trinamul’s proposal about seat sharing for the two civic body elections. “We would place our demands and proposals on the basis of our past record in English Bazaar. We shall demand at least 50 per cent of the 25 seats in the taking in English Bazaar. The Trinamul had bagged eight seats in the 2000 election and nine in the 2005 election,” said Mr Chakraborty.

He, however, had a rider. “I shall talk only to Mr Khan Choudhury and no other Congress leader or committee to avoid controversy. We shall also want to know the MP’s view on seat sharing as far as Old Malda is concerned”, the Trinamul district president said. Although the Congress leadership is against sharing seats with the Trinamul in Old Malda , Mr Khan Choudhury said: “ We want to adjust seats with the Trinamul in English bazaar. But, as far as Old Malda is concerned, we would hear out their proposals fist and then express our view on the subject”. The Old Malda civic body has 17 seats. The Congress , it is learnt has not been able to decided on its candidates for the two elections due to a squabble between the EBM chairman and senior Congress leader Mr Narendranath Tiwari and the English Bazaar Congress MLA Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, who intends to contest the municipal election this year . Mr Khan Choudhury had convened a meeting on Saturday night at his residence for the purpose, but Mr Tiwari objected to Mr Krishnenduu Choudhury’s candidature. While Mr Tiwari commented that the MLA wanted to contest the election simply’ to obtain chair”, the MLA Mr Choudhury said: “He interferes in every matter. I have warned him not to do so”.