14 Muslim candidates in race for 3 seats in WB assembly bye elections
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Bye-elections for three assembly seats in West Bengal will be held on February 23. This bye election is very important for Trinamul Congress, CPIM and Congress, as also for All India United Democratic Front.
On February 23, bye-elections will be held for the three constituencies of English Bazar in Malda distrcit, Nalhati in Birbhum distrcit and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district as victorious MLAs from those three seats had later resigned.
Md Noorul Huda, Nalhati, AIUDF
Congress MLA Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury of English Bazar had resigned to join the Trinamul congress few months back and became a minster in the Mamata Banerjee government. Simmilarly Humayun Kabir, Congress MLA from Rejinagar of Murshidabad had resigned to join TMC and become minister. Both of them have to win assembly elections within six months to retain the ministry, according to the laws.
Nalhati MLA Abhijit Mukherjee of the Congress had resigned to contest the Jangipur loksabha bye election, after his father Parnab Mukherjee resigned to be nominated for the post of President.
Abdur Rahman, Nalhat, Congress
Of these three seats, two assembly seats have Muslims in majority – Nalhati in Birbhum has nearly 59% Muslim population, while Rejinagar of Murshidabad district has more than 58% Muslim population.
Muslim candidates, from either of the parties, have generally won from the Nalhati constituency with the exception of Abhijit Mukherjee. Kalimuddin Shams, Ex Minister in the Left Front government was elected for two terms from Nalhati constituency since 1996 and 2001. In 1996, as a Forward Block candidate Kalimuddin Shams defeated to Sharif Hossain (Dalim Master) of Congress by 11686 votes and in 2001 he again defeated sharif by 3134 votes. From the beginning of the Left Front government in West Bengal Kalimuddin Shams was a cabinet Minister under the chief Minister of Jyoti Basu. Due to age, Kalimuddin Shams
did not contest in 2006 assembly election.
Sirajul Islam, Rejinagar, RSP
In 2006, AIFB nominated candidate Dipak Chatterjee. He was defeated by Abdul Walee Molla of Congress by 10167 votes. In 2011 congress pulled out the Muslim candidate and nominated Abhijit Mukherjee as their candidate and he was won.
Sachar Committee report too had observed that in West Bengal, Muslims’ representation is not proportional to their population.
Rabiul Alam, Rejinagar, Congress
In the coming bye-election in Nalhati Congress is relying on a Muslim candidate Abdur Rahman alias Liton, but other two political parties TMC and AIFB have fielded non-Muslim candidates. AIFB has retained Dipak Chatterjee as their candidate, while Biplab Ojha is contesting on TMC symbol.
Besides these three candidates, eight more candidates are contesting the Nalhati seat, of which four are Muslim candidates, from other smaller parties. Siddiqullah Chowdhury, led West Bengal AIUDF has nominated Md Noorul Huda, while the Janata Party has nominated Nurul Islam (Swapan). One independent candidate Kaosar Sekh is also trying his luck.
Humayun Kabir, Rejinagar, TMC
AIUDF leader of West Bengal Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury told TCN that, AIUDF will play a key role in this bye-election. He is pinning hope on Muslim dominated Nalhati and Rejinagar. He told TCN that people are want change from same old parties.
Maulana Chowdhury also said, two major Muslim political Party SDPI and Welfare Party has supported the AIUDF candidate in Nalhati. Welfare Party’s State Head Dr Raisuddin told TCN that, they have extended their full support to the AIUDF candidate. SDPI state president Taidul Islam also pledged his support, while talking to TCN.
In Rejinagar constituency of Murshidabad, 10 candidates are trying their luck, of which nine are Muslims. Congress candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, Trinamul Congress candidate Humayun Kabir, Left front candidate Sirajul Islam Mondal of RSP, and Indian Union Muslim League candidate Jiaur Rahman are among the main candidates.
In English Bazar, six candidates are in race of which one candidate is Muslim. Alliance between the Congress and TMC has now broken and Krishnendu Narayan chowdhury and Humayun Kabir are now contesting on TMC symbol. Political analyzers believe that in the fight between Congress and TMC, Left parties may have upper edge.
This bye-election is going to be the testing ground for the coming May, 2013 Panchayet elections.