By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Local elections are being held today in 144 wards of the city for the Kolkata Municipal elections Corporation. A total of 1077 candidates are trying their luck, out of which 175 are Muslims. Kolkata has over 37 lakh 53 thousand registered voters.
In 2010 municipal elections, Kolkata had 141 wards only, but the number has now increased to 144. A total of 4704 polling booths have been set up. 198 armed police, three companies of central force and 3387 state Police and home guards have been deployed to maintain order and avoid any untoward action, informed the West Bengal state Election Commissioner.
In the last election, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress had won 95 out of 141 seats, while the Left Front was reduced to 33. Congress had got 10 and BJP had won three seats.
Head Quarter of Kolkata Municipal Corporation
22 Muslim counsellors had won in the last election. Most of them are trying their luck once again. 175 Muslim candidates include those from smaller parties and independent ones. According to 2001 census 20.27 percent of Kolkata populations are Muslims.
Of 175 candidates, 93 are contesting on party tickets. Congress has given tickets to the largest numbers of Muslim candidates in this election. Out of 142 candidates it has fielded, 29 of whom are Muslims. 12 of them are women. Ruling TMC has nominated only 20 Muslim candidates, of whom six are women.
CPIM led Left Front has nominated 22 Muslim candidates in 144 wards. From CPIM alone have 14 Muslim candidates, along with three women. CPI has fielded three Muslim candidates, all whom are women. All India Forward Block has fielded two Muslim candidates; RSP, DSP and Samajwadi Party have each fielded one Muslim candidate.
Muslim led parties, like the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Kerala based Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) as well as Welfare Party of India (WPI) are also in the fray. SDPI – 3, IUML – 2 and WPI -1 are in the fray.
If we check the educational backgrounds of 175 Muslim candidates, they are very poor. Left Front candidates on average have more qualifications. Three of the CPIM candidates, Manzar Ahsan contesting from ward no 60, Khwaja Iftiqar Yusuf contesting from ward no 61, and Shakil Mohiuddin contesting from ward no 139 are post-graduates degree holders.
Congress candidates Fatema Anjum contesting from 56 no ward and BJP candidate Marufa Khatun Das contesting from 65 no ward too have Post-Graduate degrees.
26 other candidates out of 93 from registered parties are graduates.
The result of the KMC election will be declared on April 28, once local elections in the rest of the Municipalities of the state are over. Municipal election in 91 other municipalities in various districts will be held on April 25.