By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Leading political parties of West Bengal Trinamul Congress and CPIM, who are eye the share of Muslim votes have given tickets to seven and 12 candidates from the community respectively, a notch higher than previous times. In the least Lok Sabha elections, TMC had given tickets to 5 Muslims.
On March 5, the day general elections was announced, TMC Supremo and WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the names of her party’s 42 candidates, 7 of which are Muslims. Another candidate comes from secluded caste and will fight from the reserved seat, although she recently accepted Islam after marriage.
Sultan Ahmed
Left Front Chairman Biman Basu also announced the names of the 42 candidates, out of which 12 are from the community. Muslims comprise of 30% of total population in the state.
Haji Nurul Islam
Among the 7 Muslim candidates of TMC, Sultan Ahmed is contesting from old constituency Uluberia of Howrah district. Seating MP Haji Nurul Islam will change his constituency Basirhat to Jangipur of Murshidabad. Rest of the Muslim candidates are all new faces.
Advocate Idris Ali
Advocate Idris Ali, the state President of TMC Minority Cell has been nominated from Basirhat of North 24 Parganas. He was a long time state president of Congress Minority Cell. After joining TMC Idris Ali held the same post. He was briefly jailed also allegedly for instigating mob to vandalism in Kolkata against feminist author Taslima Nasrin.
Dr. Mumtaz Sanghamitra
TMC also nominated renowned Gynecologist Dr. Mumtaz Sanghamitra to contest in Burdwan-Durgapur. Dr Mumtaz was long time Head of the department of Gynecology of Medical College, Kolkata. She is also wife of state Minister Justice (Retd.) Nure Alam Chowdhuy. She is also the only daughter of renowned personality of Marxist Movement in West Bengal and former state Minister Syed Mansur Habibullah.
Dr Moazzem Hossain
TMC also nominated another Gynecologist of B R Singh Hospital of Railway at Sealdah (Kolkata) Dr Moazzem Hossain. He is contesting from Malda South.
Muhammad Ali
The district president of Murshidabad TMC, Muhammad Ali has been nominated to contest in Murshidabad constituency and Afrin Ali will contest from Arambagh (SC reserved) constituency of Hooghly district. Formerly Aparupa Poddar, has now become a Muslim by accepting Islam after marriage, but her names has not changed in government documents yet and she will hence contest from the reserved SC seat.
Mohd. Salim
Left Front nominated 12 Muslim candidates, retaining two previous candidates Muzaffar Hossain at Jangipur and seating MP Sk Saidul Haque at Burdwan-Durgapur. Former MP Mohd. Salim will contest election on CPIM ticket rom Raiganj Constituency of North Dinajpur.
Dr Murtaja Hossain
Other 9 new candidates are Ex MLA Dr Murtaja Hossain (Forward Block) from Barasat, Ex MLA Dr Abul Hasnat (CPIM) from Diamond Harbour, Badruddoza (CPIM) from Murshidabad, Ex MP Suhasini Ali (CPIM) from Barrackpur, Abul Hasnat Khan (CPIM) from Malda (South), Nurul Huda (CPI) from Basirhat, Sk Ibrahim Ali (CPIM) from Tamluk, Dr Kamre Ilahi (CPIM) from Birbhum.