Congress issues dual nominations

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 3 MAY: After the Trinamul, it is now the Congress’ turn in Malda to sort out the contentious issue of dual nominations from the same ward for the English Bazaar civic polls.

The Trinamul experienced the embarrassment first when Mr Srikanta Agarwal and Mr Baisistha Trebedi decided to file nomination as Trinamul candidates from ward number five of Old Malda Municipality. Although the two competitors had gone ahead with campaigns for themselves, the Trinamul leadership ultimately succeeded in putting a lid on the controversy. “Mr Agarwal has bowed out on behalf of Mr Tribedi, who would contest as the official candidate from the ward”, claimed the Trinamul Malda district president Mr Gautam Chakraborty today.

For the Congress, it is now a case of déjà vu in English Bazaar. Two candidates Mrs Anju Tiwari and Mrs Mita Sarkar have submitted nomination on Congress tickets for ward no. 22 of the EBM, much to the embarrassment of the Congress.

Speaking on the matter, Congress general secretary and in-charge of nominations for the party Mr Hassan Ali Shah said: “Mrs Tiwari is the official candidate for ward number 22 of the EBM and Mrs Sarkar would have to withdraw nomination from the ward. However, we might accommodate Mrs Sarkar’s nomination for some other ward, but that is subject to discussions”. Mrs Sarkar was not available for comment and so it remains unknown whether she would abide by the party line.

The Congress’s problems do not end here, however. The outgoing EBM chairman Mr Nrendranath Tiwari is yet to file nomination although the district Congress president Mr AH Khan Choudhury has asked him to contest from ward no. 23 of the EBM. According to the English Bazaar, Congress MLA, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury , the South Malda Congress MP and the district president Mr AH Khan Choudhury is looking into the matter of Mr Tiwari.

“The district president would take the final call on the issue “, the MLA informed.

Mr Tiwari had yesterday claimed hat he would not contest in the polls if his party did not consider the candidature of his wife.