Left Front may have advantages due to Muslim vote divide in second phase

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net.

Kolkata/Malda: On Thursday six constituencies in the four districts of West Bengal went to poll. Election for the 14th Loksabha was held on April 24 in Royganj, Balurghat, Malda Uttar, Mlada Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad.


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Mousum Noor Cong candidate in Malda North.
Mousum Noor Cong candidate in Malda North.

78 candidates are trying their luck for these six seats, out of which 34 are Muslims.


SDPI campaighning in jangipur.
SDPI campaighning in jangipur.

Royganj constituency of North Dinajpur district has 44.3 percent Muslim voters. Sitting MP and wife of former Union Minister Piya Ranjan Dasmunshi Mrs Dipa Dasmunshi is contesting here again for on the Congress ticket. CPIM has fielded Md Salim this time against her. Local popular teacher Pasharul Alam is also contesting here on the Aamd Aadmi party ticket and Kolkata based businessman Jamirul Hassan is contesting on AIUDF ticket. TMC has fielded brother of Priyaranjan Das Munshi, Pabitra Ranja Dasmunshi against the sister in law, while popular Bengali actor Nimu Bhoumik is contesting on BJP ticket. Due to vote divide Salim appears to fair chance.


SDPI Candidate Md Sahabuddin in Jangipur.
SDPI Candidate Md Sahabuddin in Jangipur.

In Balurghat constituency of South Dinajpur District 27.72% voters are Muslims. There are 12 candidates in fray from here too, out of which two are Muslims: Abdus Sadek Sarder of AIUDF and Nurul Islam for SUCI. RSP is strong here and the contest is between Bimalendu Sarkar of RSP and Arpita Ghosh of TMC.


CPIM candidate Md Salim in Royganj.
CPIM candidate Md Salim in Royganj.

In Malda North constituency 13 candidates are in fray of which four are Muslims. They are sitting MP Mousum Noor of Congress, Abdul Khaleque of AIUDF, Nurul Islam Majidi of Welfare Party and Minara Khatun of Hindustan Kratikari Dal.


AAP candidate Pasharul Alam in Royganj.
AAP candidate Pasharul Alam in Royganj.

The contest here is three-way among Mousum Noor of Congress, Singer turned politician Soumitra Roy of TMC and Khagen Murmu of CPIM. There are fears that AIUDF, WPI and HKD might have cut considerably into 45.89% Muslim votes.


Cong candidate in Murshidabad Abdul Mannan Hosain.
Cong candidate in Murshidabad Abdul Mannan Hosain.

In Malda South constituency contest is between sitting MP Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury of Congress and CPIM candidate Abul Hasnat Khan, though TMC too has fielded Kolkata based Doctor Moazzem Hossain, who is originally from Malda.


AIUDF candidate Jamirul Hassan extreme right In Royganj.
AIUDF candidate Jamirul Hassan extreme right In Royganj.

There are total 17 candidates in fray here of which 11 are Muslims, including Imtiaz Ahmed Mollah of SDPI, Nasmul Hoque of Party of Democratic Socialism, Firoz Akhtar of Bahujam Mukti Party, Murshed Sheikh of RPI (A), Md Ezaruddin of Jamat-e-Seratul Mustakim, Md Nazrul Islam of AIUDF, Md Faruque Hossain of IUML and Independent Manjur Alahi Munshi. This constituency has 59.65% Muslim voters.


Candidate of  Hindusthan Krintikari Dal Minara Khatun in Malda North.
Candidate of Hindusthan Krintikari Dal Minara Khatun in Malda North.

In seats that polled yesterday, Jangipur of Murshidabad is one of the most watched seats in the state. It has 62.2% Muslim voters and was the seat of Pranab Mukharjee, currently held by his son Abhijit Mukherjee, who won in the bye-election after his father became the President and vacated it. His margin of victory was narrow, however, and his fate would be decided based on how much support he could garner from the Muslims in this constituency. Local CPIM leader Muzaffar Hossain and Haji Nurul Islam of TMC are his main rivals.


TMC candidate Dr Moazzem Hossain in Malda north.
TMC candidate Dr Moazzem Hossain in Malda north.

Abdus Sayeed of SUCI, Monirul Islam of WPI, Ginnatul Sk of Jamat-e-Seratul Mustakim amd SDPI candidate Md Sahabuddin are also contesting from here. In the by-election considerable Muslim votes had gone to the AIUDF and WPI and hence it remains to be seen how much votes they get this time.


TMC candidate Haji Nurul Islam in Jangipur.
TMC candidate Haji Nurul Islam in Jangipur.

There are 12 candidates from in the Murshidabad constituency, out of which 8 are Muslims. Sitting MP Abdul Manan Hossain of the Congress is facing challenge from TMC candidate Md Ali and CPIM candidate Badruddoza Khan, who appears to have strong chance.


TMC candidate in Murshidabad Md Ali.
TMC candidate in Murshidabad Md Ali.

This constituency with 70.66% of Muslim votes also has Muslim candidates from smaller parties, like Abdul Bari of IUML, Kamaruzzaman Khandakar of SUCI, Masudul Islam of SDPI, Khodabox of WPI and Najmul Hoque of AIUDF.


WPI candidate Nurul Islam Majidi writing walling in his constituency Malda North.
WPI candidate Nurul Islam Majidi writing walling in his constituency Malda North.


Postering in Jangipur in favour of WPI candidate Monirul Islam.
Postering in Jangipur in favour of WPI candidate Monirul Islam.

Now that polling is over it remains to be seen how many votes these smaller parties grab as that may disturb the equations and unsettle many siting MPs.

LOK SABHA ELECTIONS 2014

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