17 Muslims (6 women) win in six municipalities in West Bengal

By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net

Kolkata: Recently Municipal election was held in 6 municipality of West Bengal on June 3, 2012. The six Municipalities are Durgapur in Burdwan district, Haldia & Panskura of East Medinipur District, Dhupguri of Jalpaiguri District, Nalhati of Birbhum district and Coopers Camp (Notified Area) of Nadia district.

After the Assembly election this election was very vital for Trinamul Congress, CPI(M) & Congress. Results were declared on June 5, 2012. CPI(M)-led Left Front looses 2 Municipality and retained 1 Municipality. Congress lost 1 Municipality and Trinamul Congress gained 3 Municipalities. In this year out of 129 seats of six Municipalities Trinamul Congress bagged 72 seats, left Front won 38 seats. Among the Left front CPI(M) got 30, CPI-5, Forward Block-1, RSP-1, Samajbadi Party-1. Congress won only 15 seats. BJP increased their seats from 1 to 3. In the previous election in 2007, there was no winning Muslim of Trinamul Congress, but in this year Trinamul Congress have seven Muslim winners.

In this 6 Municipalities number of Muslim candidates are 17. In 2007 election that were only 10. Among wining candidates in 2007 of different political party, CPI(M)-5, Congress-2, Siddiqullah led PDCI-1, Trinamul Congress-0 and Indepndent-1. This year Trinamul Congress increased their winning Muslim candidates from zero to 7. Beside this CPI(M) also increased their previous tally of 5 to 7 winners. Forward Block also bagged 1 seat for Muslim. Muslim candidates of Congress have decreased from 3 to 2. No Muslim contested in Coopers Camp & Dhupguri Municipality due to very low percentage of Muslim population.

Of the 17 Muslim winners 6 are women and aged between 32 to 44. Only one woman Ayesha Siddika of Congress has Graduate degree, rest of them either Secondary Standard or below Secondary. Bibi Murshida of Trinamul Congress is VII standard pass. She has been elected second times. In the previous election in 2007 she contested on behalf of Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury led People Democratic Conference of India (PDCI). But she joined the Trinamul Congress before the Assembly Election.

Syed Amjed Ali of Trinamul Congress again won the election, in 2007 he was an independent candidate. Winning Muslim men candidates are age 27 to 59. Highest qualification holder Jakiur Rahman of Trinamul Congress, B.Sc(Honors) in Agriculture. He is eldest among the Muslim winning candidates. Three Muslim male candidates are VIII standard pass, two from CPI(M) and one from TMC.

The list of 17 Muslim candidates elected from four Municipalities: