56 Muslim candidates fielded by Left Front in West Bengal Assembly poll

March 16, 2011

By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net,

Kolkata: Battle to capture minority votes has begun in West Bengal. The ruling Left Front, facing strongest ever anti-incumbency wave in the state, has fielded 56 Muslim candidates, that is 19% of the total 294 seats of the Assembly. For the six-phase election starting from 18th April, Left announced all 294 candidates, of which 65 are from minority communities – Muslims are 56.

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That the Left is losing grip on Muslims and so is all out to retain it is clear from this fact: In the last Assembly election CPIM-led Left Front had fielded 44 Muslim candidates, but this time 12 more. According to 2001 census 25.25 percent of the state population is Muslim. After ruling of 34 years Left Front decided to field candidates in proportion to population of communities. Last year the government introduced 10 percent reservation in government jobs for those under OBC-A category, most of them are Muslim. In the last few years, the Left has fast lost Muslim vote and rival Trinamul Congress and Congress are capturing it rapidly. The Muslims have long been supporter of the Left Front regime but now they are losing their ground. So they are trying to recover it.

However, giving 56 seats to Muslims is far behind the proportion according to which they could be given at least 80 seats. Among the 56, there are 6 women candidates while in total 26 are new faces.

It is interesting that some heavyweight Muslim candidates did not get the ticket. Left Front’s Chief whip in Assembly Syed Md Masih, MLA of Mahestala Constituency Mr Mursalin Molla, Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim do not figure in the current list. Though son of Hasim Abdul Halim, Dr Fuad Halim and son of Ex Minister Kalimuddin Shams, Md Mainuddin Shams have got tickets.

A large number of Left’s Muslim candidates are in Murshidabad district (63.67% Muslim population–2001 Census) where out of 22 Left candidates 15 are Muslim. In North 24 Parganas (24.22% — 2001 Census) out of 33 candidates Muslims are only 5. In Maldah there are 5 and South 24 Parganas & North Dinajpur have four Muslim candidates of Let each.

List of Muslim candidates of CPIM-led Left Front in West Bengal

No	Candidates	Party	Constituency	District	New/old face
1	Tamser Ali	CPM	natabari	Coochbehar
2	Anwarul Haque	CPM	Chopra	Uttar Dinajpur
3	Syeda farhat Afroz	CPM	Islampur	Uttar Dinajpur	woman
4	Safiur Rahaman	FB	Goalpokhor	Uttar Dinajpur	New
5	Ali Imran Ramz (Victor)	FB	Chakulia	Uttar Dinajpur
6	Mahfooza Khatun	CPM	Kumarganj	Dakkhin Dinajpur	woman
7	Anzumanara Begum	CPM	Chanchal	Maldah	woman
8	Tajmul Hossain	FB	Harishchandrapur	Maldah
9	Abdur rahim Bakshi	RSP	Malatipur	Maldah	New
10	Naimuddin Seikh	CPM	Mothabari	Maldah	New
11	Ketabuddin	CPM	Sujapur	Maldah
12	Abdus Salam	CPM	Farakka	Murshidabad
13	Toab Ali	CPM	Samserganj	Murshidabad
14	Jane Alam Mian	RSP	Suti	Murshidabad
15	Abul Hasnat Khan	RSP	Raghunathganj	Murshidabad
16	Ismail	CPM	Sagardighi	Murshidabad	New
17	Yean Ali	CPM	Lalgola	Murshidabad	New
18	Chand Mohammad	SP	Bhagabangola	Murshidabad
19	Maksuda Begum	FB	Raninagar	Murshidabad	New, woman
20	Inal Haque	CPI	Kandi	Murshidabad	New
21	Id Mohammad	RSP	Bharatpur	Murshidabad
22	Sirajul Islam mondal	RSP	Rejinagar	Murshidabad	New
23	Md Refatullah	RSP	Beldanga	Murshidabad
24	Insar Ali	CPM	Hariharpara	Murshidabad
25	Anisur Rahman	CPM	Domkal	Murshidabad
26	Abdur Razzak	CPM	Jalangi	Murshidabad	New
27	S M Saddi	CPM	Palashipara	Nadia
28	Samsul Islam Mollah	CPM	Chapra	Nadia
29	Yar Mullick	RCPI	Santipur	Nadia	New
30	Md Selim Gayen	CPM	Baduria	North 24 parganas
31	Abdus Sattar	CPM	Amdanga	North 24 parganas
32	Dr Mortaza Hossain	FB	Deganga	North 24 parganas
33	Imtiaz Hossain	CPM	Haroa	North 24 parganas	New
34	Mostafa Bin Kasem	CPM	Basirhat Uttar	North 24 parganas
35	Abdur Razzak Molla	CPM	Canning East	South 24 Parganas
36	Dr Abul Hasanat	CPM	Magrahat West	South 24 Parganas
37	Sk Md Israil	CPM	Maheshtala	South 24 Parganas	New
38	Badruddoja Molla	CPM	Metiaburuz	South 24 Parganas	New
39	Moinuddin Sams	FB	Kolkata Port	Kolkata	New
40	Dr Fuad Halim	CPM	Ballygunge	Kolkata	New
41	Sk Kutubuddin Ahmed	FB	Uluberia South	Howrah	New

42	Akkel Ali	CPM	Bagnan	Howrah
43	Kaji Jaffar Ahmed	CPM	Jagatballavpur	Howrah	New
44	Amzad Hossain	CPM	Pandua	Hooghly	New
45	Sk Azim Ali	CPM	Chanditala	Hooghly	New
46	Mujibar rahman	CPM	Moina	Purba Medinipur
47	Nazmul haque	CPM	Kharagpur	Paschim Medinipur
48	Sorab Hossain Sk	CPM	Debra	Paschim Medinipur	New
49	Chudhury Mohd Hedaetullah	CPM	Manteswar	Bardhaman
50	Aleya Begum	CPM	Purbasthali Dakkhin	Bardhaman	New, woman
51	Syed Abdul Qader	CPM	Ketugram	Bardhaman	New
52	Choudhuri Sajahan	CPM	Mangalkot	Bardhaman	New
53	Jahanara Khatun	CPM	jamuria	Bardhaman	New, woman
54	Abdul Gaffar	CPM	Suri	Birbhum	New
55	Kamal Hasan	RCPI	Hansan	Birbhum	New
56	Dr Kamre Elahi	CPM	Murarai	Birbhum

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