Among the nine Muslim candidates who contested in the second phase of the election, one is a female. She is Firoza Bibi, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Panskura Paschim Constituency in East Midnapore. Firoza Bibi’s son was killed in the Nandigram land movement. She is a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Panskura Paschim constituency and is contesting elections from the same constituency.
Zaidul Haque, TwoCirles.net
Kolkata: The second phase of the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections will test the fate of 9 Muslim candidates belonging to different political parties in the eastern Indian state.
The West Bengal assembly has 294 seats, and the second phase of elections polled votes in 69 assembly constituencies falling in four districts of the state. The second phase of elections, which took place on Thursday, April 1, witnessed 81 per cent of polling despite the chaos in Nandigram.
The seats where elections took place include Gosaba, Patharpratima, Kakdwip, Sagar in South 24 Parganas district, Tamluk of East Midnapore, Panskura East, Panskura West, Maina, Nandakumar, Haldia, Nandigram, Mahishadal, Chandipur. Sabang, Pingla, Ghatal, Keshpur, Debra, Kharagpur Sadar, Narayangarh, Chandrakona, Daspur in West Midnapore, Bankura, Barajora, Onda, Bishnupur, Indus, Sonamukhi, Kotulpur, and Taldangra.
345 candidates contested in the second phase of the election, out of which 26 are women.
Among the nine Muslim candidates who contested in the second phase of the election, one is a female. She is Firoza Bibi, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Panskura Paschim Constituency in East Midnapore. Firoza Bibi’s son was killed in the Nandigram land movement. She is a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Panskura Paschim constituency and is contesting elections from the same constituency.
The other eight Muslim candidates who contested in the second phase of elections are Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) candidate from Sagar Assembly constituency of South 24 Parganas Sheikh Mukhlesur Rahman, Sheikh Ibrahim Ali, who is a sitting MLA belonging to CPIM from Panskura East Assembly constituency in East Midnapore, Independent candidate Samir Hossain, another Independent candidate Fazlur Rahman Sheikh contested from Mahishadal, while two other Independent candidates Marfat Ali Khan contested from Nandakumar constituency and Sk Saddam Hossain from volatile Nandigram constituency.
Nandigram remained volatile during the second phase of elections, as the current Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) took the fight to her once-close aide and now rival Suvendu Adhikari, who is the sitting MLA of Nandigram contesting fighting on a BJP ticket.
Besides SK Saddam Hussien, the other candidates contesting from Nandigram are Minakshi Mukherjee, of CPI (M), Manoj Kumar Das of Socialist unity Centre of India (Communist), Dipak Kumar Gayen (Independent) and Swapan Parua (Independent).
Independent candidate Muhammad Ali Sheikh contested from Moyna constituency of Paschim Medinipur district and former IPS Humayun Kabir contested from Debra assembly constituency on a TMC ticket.
Two Muslim candidates have PhDs, one is retired IAS
Among the nine Muslim candidates who tested their fate in the second phase of elections, two have PhDs.
Humayun Kabir, a TMC candidate from Debra is MSc and PhD and a retired IAS officer.
Sheikh Mukhlesur Rahman, who is fighting from the Sagar constituency, also has a PhD.
Sagar did his PhD from Ranchi University in 2016. He has an MA degree from Vidyasagar University.
Sheikh Ibrahim Ali, a candidate from Panskura West, received his BA Honors from Vidyasagar University in 2008.
Independent candidate Samir Hossain graduated in History in 2012.
Muhammad Ali Sheikh, an independent candidate from the Moyna constituency, has studied till higher secondary. Sheikh calls himself an ‘Ayurvedic doctor.’
Independent candidate Sheikh Saddam Hussein did his schooling from Nandigram, West Bengal, while another independent candidate Marfat Ali Khan has passed the fourth class and is fighting from the Nandakumar constituency.
Mahishadal’s independent candidate Fazlur Rahman Sheikh has passed the eighth class and the TMC candidate from Panskura West, Firoza Bibi, has studied till 9th class only.