1 Apr 2009, 0100 hrs IST, Subhro Maitra, TNNMALDA: In the rustic, dusty backdrop of the tribal belts of Dhumpur, Ashrampara and Rishipur, she wafts in like a breeze. Mausam Noor, the
maternal niece of ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury, is stepping into the sun to carry forward Barkat Da's legacy. "Oi dakh, oi meyeta, oitai Barkater Bhanji (Look, that girl is Barkat da's niece)," Shila Mudi whispered to her daughter
in the CPM stronghold. Mini Hembram tried to crane over the heads and shoulders of the men around to take a look at Mausam. Hundreds line the village lanes. Her glamour may have attracted the curious crowd, but she seems to know which chords to touch. "I lost my father in childhood, a year back I lost my mother as well. I miss the shade of Baromama (Ghani Khan) over my head. Now you're my parents. You're to look after me." Buoyed by the final approval of her candidature, 28-year-old Mausam is going all out on the campaign trail. A hug for a woman here, a pat on a child's
head there, she plays to the gallery. She had visited Gajole, Ratua and Araidanga in the last three days, but Tuesday's campaign was certainly different. The confusion regarding her nomination and the opposition by Ghani's estranged brother Naser over, Noor was visibly upbeat. In spite of the searing heat, she refused the car and walked through the rough roads. In Babupur, she picked up the two-year-old baby of Jahnara Biwi. A cheer went up. Schooling from La Marts, LLB under her belt, registered in Calcutta High Court, a regular at Supreme Court, Mausam is perhaps more comfortable with English rather than rustic Bengali, but she is desperate to be declassed'. "Don't you find my mom (Rubi Noor) in me?" she asked, as she had lunch in a shabby hut. "Mummy always wished me to join politics, to serve the people here," said Mausam. "I pursued law with this intent alone." However, her dream to go to the UK for higher studies had to be postponed due to the sudden demise of Rubi Noor six months back. It was Rubi Noor's wish and more importantly the backing of the Kotwali faction of Malda that led her to contest the by-election. And what about leaving Sujapur within two months of winning as MLA? Mausam deflected the question with a seasoned answer: "The people of Sujapur will be happy to see their daughter as MP in Delhi. Soniaji has bestowed on me this duty and I'm going to perform." And how did she fare with the electorate? Going by the reactions of Jahangir Sk or Akhtari Bewa, Mausam has won the first battle. Reactions ranged from "Ki pharsa! Ami haat chhuyechi!" (How fair! I'm lucky to touch her hand) to "Aha re meyetar pichane kato legeche sabai! (Pity, people are attacking her)." Perhaps this is the sentiment which is sensed by the Congressmen as well. If Samit Chatterjee and Sabitri Mitra were with Mausam from the beginning, now leaders like Asif Meheboob and Mustaque Alam, too, have joined the bandwagon.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Naser supporters make going tough for Mousam
DANCE Of DEMOCRACY
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Kolkata: The family feud over the Congress candidate for Malda North seems to be snowballing into a major confrontation. Agitating supporters of Abu Naser Khan Choudhury on Monday threatened to run amok if their man didn’t get the ticket. The Congress high command has already announced the name of Naser’s niece Mousam Noor as the candidate. State Congress president Pranab Mukherjee refused to comment on the dispute, saying that Sonia Gandhi would take a final call on it. “AICC has finalised the candidature of Mausam Benazir Noor. Any change can be made by only Sonia Gandhi,” he said. Naser Khan is in Delhi to grab the Malda North ticket. In the morning, Naser’s supporters thronged the Kotwali residence of the Khan family. “We want Lebuda, or else we’ll stop Mousam from campaigning,” shouted Hannan Ali, Tiya, Meser Ali, Mohtab and other North Malda Congress leaders. Naser’s brother and Malda South candidate Abu Hasem Khan was present too. He, too, favours his brother over his niece. “Mousam has won the Assembly bypolls from Sujapur only two months ago. It won’t go down well with the voters if she now leaves Sujapur for the parliament seat. Her nomination will affect the party’s prospects in South Malda too,” the district Congress president held. Scared with the unruly crowd coming inside Kotwali, Mousam got in touch with her supporters and the police. The crowd dispersed only after police reached the spot. What may have fuelled the demonstration was a comment by Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday. He said in Murshidabad that he would talk to Hasem Khan in a day or two before finalizing the Malda North candidate. Raiganj candidate Deepa Das Munshi, too, is not in favour of Mousam. “I asked her not to fight the LS polls. Rather she should serve the people of Sujapur. We wanted Sabitri Mitra for this seat. This family squabble might cost us the seat,” she said. Mousam campaigned in Chanchal, Gajole and Ratua on Monday. Pranab, Mamata discuss alliance Kolkata: Pranab Mukherjee on Monday evening had a discussion on the telephone with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on the modalities of the Congress-Trinamool alliance. Earlier in the day, Congress and Trinamool leaders attended a Youth Congress meeting in south Kolkata, where PCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya asked voters to ensure Mamata’s victory. He said all Congress leaders were campaigning jointly with Trinamool. TNN
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Kolkata: The family feud over the Congress candidate for Malda North seems to be snowballing into a major confrontation. Agitating supporters of Abu Naser Khan Choudhury on Monday threatened to run amok if their man didn’t get the ticket. The Congress high command has already announced the name of Naser’s niece Mousam Noor as the candidate. State Congress president Pranab Mukherjee refused to comment on the dispute, saying that Sonia Gandhi would take a final call on it. “AICC has finalised the candidature of Mausam Benazir Noor. Any change can be made by only Sonia Gandhi,” he said. Naser Khan is in Delhi to grab the Malda North ticket. In the morning, Naser’s supporters thronged the Kotwali residence of the Khan family. “We want Lebuda, or else we’ll stop Mousam from campaigning,” shouted Hannan Ali, Tiya, Meser Ali, Mohtab and other North Malda Congress leaders. Naser’s brother and Malda South candidate Abu Hasem Khan was present too. He, too, favours his brother over his niece. “Mousam has won the Assembly bypolls from Sujapur only two months ago. It won’t go down well with the voters if she now leaves Sujapur for the parliament seat. Her nomination will affect the party’s prospects in South Malda too,” the district Congress president held. Scared with the unruly crowd coming inside Kotwali, Mousam got in touch with her supporters and the police. The crowd dispersed only after police reached the spot. What may have fuelled the demonstration was a comment by Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday. He said in Murshidabad that he would talk to Hasem Khan in a day or two before finalizing the Malda North candidate. Raiganj candidate Deepa Das Munshi, too, is not in favour of Mousam. “I asked her not to fight the LS polls. Rather she should serve the people of Sujapur. We wanted Sabitri Mitra for this seat. This family squabble might cost us the seat,” she said. Mousam campaigned in Chanchal, Gajole and Ratua on Monday. Pranab, Mamata discuss alliance Kolkata: Pranab Mukherjee on Monday evening had a discussion on the telephone with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on the modalities of the Congress-Trinamool alliance. Earlier in the day, Congress and Trinamool leaders attended a Youth Congress meeting in south Kolkata, where PCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya asked voters to ensure Mamata’s victory. He said all Congress leaders were campaigning jointly with Trinamool. TNN
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pranab’s footwork on home turf
Warming To Election Summer, Pranab Plays Ball & Deepa Das Munshi Reaches Out To ‘In-Laws’ For Support
Devjyot Ghoshal, Udit Prasanna Mukherji & Subhro Maitra TNN
Jangipur/Kolkata: “Oi dekho Pranab babur gari aschhe (Hey, look Pranab babu’s car is coming),” cried little Osman. No, it was not the usual white Ambassador. Instead, a van sporting Pranab Mukherjee’s cutout whizzed past the dusty village road. Osman and his friends in this part of Raghunathganj are not bothered about the office Mukherjee holds. To them, he is an indulgent elderly person, the father figure of ‘gramin football’ in this area. Pranab Mukherjee has been doing this groundwork for the past year. His campaign has several layers, not just the one we are used to — road shows, slogan-shouting, fiery speeches loaded with jargon like sovereignty, recession, public distribution, inclusive development, that often sound like Hebrew to the young. If election is the art of communication, the gramin football project is a hit in the villages. But how could Mukherjee manage the time to organize such tournaments after addressing the Lok Sabha as a stand-in for finance minister, preparing political drafts for the AICC or meeting foreign delegates as external affairs minister? “He didn’t do it on his own. He conceived the idea and engaged an advertising agency to do the work for him,” said Mukherjee’s confidential assistant Pradyot Guha. The order came to Soubhagya Enterprises that engaged its sport wing, ALLSPORT, to introduce gramin tournaments in the memory of Kamadakinkar Mukherjee, Pranab’s father. “That was a year ago. Our men have been reaching out to village clubs and youths since then, organizing football, cricket and chess tournaments. Pranab babu clearly told us to do something on these lines because the youth here didn’t have scope to develop their skills,” said ALLSPORT director Srenik Sett. “We brought in footballers such as Gautam Sarkar and Sudhir Karmakar and chess wizard Dibyendu Barua to train the youth. Slowly, the camps became known as Pranab Mukherjee’s coaching camp. It is all about image building.” Pranab babu did not leave it entirely to the media agency, though. After each tournament, he took time out to hand over trophies to winners. Now, it seems to be paying. There is another set of dedicated professionals working on the campaign materials at Soubhagya’s office in Kolkata. They are not the usual stuff. Take, for instance, Soubhagya’s brochure on Pranab Mukherjee. The front page has the usual photograph with a jingle: ‘Kajer manush, kachher manush’ (A man who works and is close to people), which is central to all campaign materials. And the back cover has a 2009 calendar, with a list of holidays. “The idea is to establish a connect with the voter, give him something in the brochure that comes of use to him. We are also inserting a fourpage telephone index as part of the brochure. At least 10 out of 100 people will keep the brochure for a fortnight,” the director of the advertising agency said. The subtle style reminds one of another Congress-turned Trinamool Congress leader, Ajit Panja, who was a master in this art. What is there in Mukherjee’s brochure? A brief self-introduction and his 10 big contributions for the Jangipur constituency. “When Pranab babu was defence minister, he set up an army recruitment centre in Murshidabad. A passport office has been opened during his tenure as external affairs minister. A major chunk of his MPLAD funds has been spent on building the upcoming Sagardighi College,” said Guha. The only Congress person who figures in Mukherjee’s campaign other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi is strongman Adhir Choudhury. Mukherjee is trying his level best to come out of Adhir’s shadow, but is not in a position to do so without him, a Congress leader said.
Devjyot Ghoshal, Udit Prasanna Mukherji & Subhro Maitra TNN
Jangipur/Kolkata: “Oi dekho Pranab babur gari aschhe (Hey, look Pranab babu’s car is coming),” cried little Osman. No, it was not the usual white Ambassador. Instead, a van sporting Pranab Mukherjee’s cutout whizzed past the dusty village road. Osman and his friends in this part of Raghunathganj are not bothered about the office Mukherjee holds. To them, he is an indulgent elderly person, the father figure of ‘gramin football’ in this area. Pranab Mukherjee has been doing this groundwork for the past year. His campaign has several layers, not just the one we are used to — road shows, slogan-shouting, fiery speeches loaded with jargon like sovereignty, recession, public distribution, inclusive development, that often sound like Hebrew to the young. If election is the art of communication, the gramin football project is a hit in the villages. But how could Mukherjee manage the time to organize such tournaments after addressing the Lok Sabha as a stand-in for finance minister, preparing political drafts for the AICC or meeting foreign delegates as external affairs minister? “He didn’t do it on his own. He conceived the idea and engaged an advertising agency to do the work for him,” said Mukherjee’s confidential assistant Pradyot Guha. The order came to Soubhagya Enterprises that engaged its sport wing, ALLSPORT, to introduce gramin tournaments in the memory of Kamadakinkar Mukherjee, Pranab’s father. “That was a year ago. Our men have been reaching out to village clubs and youths since then, organizing football, cricket and chess tournaments. Pranab babu clearly told us to do something on these lines because the youth here didn’t have scope to develop their skills,” said ALLSPORT director Srenik Sett. “We brought in footballers such as Gautam Sarkar and Sudhir Karmakar and chess wizard Dibyendu Barua to train the youth. Slowly, the camps became known as Pranab Mukherjee’s coaching camp. It is all about image building.” Pranab babu did not leave it entirely to the media agency, though. After each tournament, he took time out to hand over trophies to winners. Now, it seems to be paying. There is another set of dedicated professionals working on the campaign materials at Soubhagya’s office in Kolkata. They are not the usual stuff. Take, for instance, Soubhagya’s brochure on Pranab Mukherjee. The front page has the usual photograph with a jingle: ‘Kajer manush, kachher manush’ (A man who works and is close to people), which is central to all campaign materials. And the back cover has a 2009 calendar, with a list of holidays. “The idea is to establish a connect with the voter, give him something in the brochure that comes of use to him. We are also inserting a fourpage telephone index as part of the brochure. At least 10 out of 100 people will keep the brochure for a fortnight,” the director of the advertising agency said. The subtle style reminds one of another Congress-turned Trinamool Congress leader, Ajit Panja, who was a master in this art. What is there in Mukherjee’s brochure? A brief self-introduction and his 10 big contributions for the Jangipur constituency. “When Pranab babu was defence minister, he set up an army recruitment centre in Murshidabad. A passport office has been opened during his tenure as external affairs minister. A major chunk of his MPLAD funds has been spent on building the upcoming Sagardighi College,” said Guha. The only Congress person who figures in Mukherjee’s campaign other than Congress president Sonia Gandhi is strongman Adhir Choudhury. Mukherjee is trying his level best to come out of Adhir’s shadow, but is not in a position to do so without him, a Congress leader said.
Shashurbari will swing it for me, says Deepa
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: Shashurbari Zindabad! If Deepa Das Munshi returns smiling — and victorious — from the heat and dust of an election summer in Raiganj, she’ll surely have those words on her lips. For, as Priya Ranjan Das Munshi’s wife makes the leap from state politics — she is an MLA from Goalpokhar — to the national arena in the 15th Lok Sabha poll, she’ll sincerely be hoping her ‘in-laws’ swing it in her favour. For one, this is the first time Kaliaganj, where Priya has his ancestral home, has been included in the Raiganj constituency. Kaliaganj was in Balurghat before delimitation. Secondly, traditional Congress strongholds of Ratua, Harishchandarpur and Kharba have gone out of Raiganj, again thanks to delimitation. Deepa will need all the support from new bases like Kaliaganj to win from Raiganj, which has returned Priya twice to Parliament. “I’m banking on my shashurbari,” quipped Deepa while speaking to TOI on her way to Chakulia. She’s not worried, as she has managed the Congress tightrope well so far — looking after her own constituency as well as her ailing husband’s and sorting out feuds within the party. Neither Priya nor Deepa had to bother about Kaliaganj so far. “Being in Balurghat, it did not get the attention it deserved. Naturally, people there have grievances,” said Deepa. Her confidence stems from the fact that in the last rural election, Congress won the Kaliaganj panchayat samiti. Political calculations apart, Deepa is also banking on her own charisma and the sympathy wave for the ailing Priya. Proof: Deepa turned up one-and-a-half hours late — 11.30 am instead of 10 am — for her meeting with artists and cultural personalities at Shila Bhawan in Raiganj on Saturday. But there was not a murmur of anger. “How can we put pressure on her? She has to constantly shuttle between Delhi and Raiganj,” said Sandip, her close aide. She struck the right note every time she spoke of her husband. “Someone who had Raiganj so close to his heart is in hospital, unable to speak. Still, I’m here as politicians have no room for personal sorrow,” she said. After a dusty 70-km drive, Deepa reached Chakulia at 2.30 pm for a meeting with Congress workers. Pabitra Chanda, her Man Friday, narrated how she was initially unwilling to leave her son alone in Delhi and fight the election. “But we told her that thousands of her sons in Raiganj needed her as well,” Chanda said, to loud applause. Aware that the area was minority dominated, Deepa spoke of Priya’s initiatives for the development of minorities. Bolstered by local support, Deepa was not worried about Karim Choudhury, the eighttime Islampur MLA. Choudhury quit Trinamool to launch his new outfit. “I don’t worry about Choudhury. People are with Priyada; no individual can mislead them,” she said. Boudi’s voice was confident.
Malda: Shashurbari Zindabad! If Deepa Das Munshi returns smiling — and victorious — from the heat and dust of an election summer in Raiganj, she’ll surely have those words on her lips. For, as Priya Ranjan Das Munshi’s wife makes the leap from state politics — she is an MLA from Goalpokhar — to the national arena in the 15th Lok Sabha poll, she’ll sincerely be hoping her ‘in-laws’ swing it in her favour. For one, this is the first time Kaliaganj, where Priya has his ancestral home, has been included in the Raiganj constituency. Kaliaganj was in Balurghat before delimitation. Secondly, traditional Congress strongholds of Ratua, Harishchandarpur and Kharba have gone out of Raiganj, again thanks to delimitation. Deepa will need all the support from new bases like Kaliaganj to win from Raiganj, which has returned Priya twice to Parliament. “I’m banking on my shashurbari,” quipped Deepa while speaking to TOI on her way to Chakulia. She’s not worried, as she has managed the Congress tightrope well so far — looking after her own constituency as well as her ailing husband’s and sorting out feuds within the party. Neither Priya nor Deepa had to bother about Kaliaganj so far. “Being in Balurghat, it did not get the attention it deserved. Naturally, people there have grievances,” said Deepa. Her confidence stems from the fact that in the last rural election, Congress won the Kaliaganj panchayat samiti. Political calculations apart, Deepa is also banking on her own charisma and the sympathy wave for the ailing Priya. Proof: Deepa turned up one-and-a-half hours late — 11.30 am instead of 10 am — for her meeting with artists and cultural personalities at Shila Bhawan in Raiganj on Saturday. But there was not a murmur of anger. “How can we put pressure on her? She has to constantly shuttle between Delhi and Raiganj,” said Sandip, her close aide. She struck the right note every time she spoke of her husband. “Someone who had Raiganj so close to his heart is in hospital, unable to speak. Still, I’m here as politicians have no room for personal sorrow,” she said. After a dusty 70-km drive, Deepa reached Chakulia at 2.30 pm for a meeting with Congress workers. Pabitra Chanda, her Man Friday, narrated how she was initially unwilling to leave her son alone in Delhi and fight the election. “But we told her that thousands of her sons in Raiganj needed her as well,” Chanda said, to loud applause. Aware that the area was minority dominated, Deepa spoke of Priya’s initiatives for the development of minorities. Bolstered by local support, Deepa was not worried about Karim Choudhury, the eighttime Islampur MLA. Choudhury quit Trinamool to launch his new outfit. “I don’t worry about Choudhury. People are with Priyada; no individual can mislead them,” she said. Boudi’s voice was confident.
Cong row over Malda North candidate
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Malda sitting MP and district Congress president Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury on Friday said the Congress candidate in Malda North “is not final yet”. “I have asked workers to campaign for the party, not the candidate,” he said, just 24 hours after AICC declared his niece, Sujapur MLA Mausam Noor, as the candidate for Malda North. Hasem Khan is reportedly upset over Mausam getting the ticket. Two day ago, he had announced his brother, Naser Khan, as the candidate. But AICC did not accept it, apparently due to the lack of some documents regarding Naser’s citizenship. When Mausam’s name was announced on Thursday, Naser sounded aggrieved — he even vowed to fight the election as an Independent candidate. His papers from Switzerland regarding citizenship reached New Delhi on Thursday and Naser went to Delhi on Friday, even as Mausam reached Malda to a cheering welcome from hundreds of supporters. “I hope to get the nomination,” Naser said. Hasem Khan echoed this. Mausam, however, kept quiet regarding the differences with her maternal uncle. “AICC has nominated me and I’ll fight to win,” she said.
Malda: Malda sitting MP and district Congress president Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury on Friday said the Congress candidate in Malda North “is not final yet”. “I have asked workers to campaign for the party, not the candidate,” he said, just 24 hours after AICC declared his niece, Sujapur MLA Mausam Noor, as the candidate for Malda North. Hasem Khan is reportedly upset over Mausam getting the ticket. Two day ago, he had announced his brother, Naser Khan, as the candidate. But AICC did not accept it, apparently due to the lack of some documents regarding Naser’s citizenship. When Mausam’s name was announced on Thursday, Naser sounded aggrieved — he even vowed to fight the election as an Independent candidate. His papers from Switzerland regarding citizenship reached New Delhi on Thursday and Naser went to Delhi on Friday, even as Mausam reached Malda to a cheering welcome from hundreds of supporters. “I hope to get the nomination,” Naser said. Hasem Khan echoed this. Mausam, however, kept quiet regarding the differences with her maternal uncle. “AICC has nominated me and I’ll fight to win,” she said.
Season change: Ticket for Mousam
DANCE Of DEMOCRACY
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Daluda, Lebuda and Mousam — when it comes to looking for leaders, Malda Congress cannot look beyond Barkatda’s family. This time was supposed to be no different. Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, or Daluda, was contesting from Malda South, niece Mousam had won the Sujapur Assembly bypoll. So, how could brother Naser Khan, or Lebuda, be left out? But the Congress high command had other plans. Within a day of district Congress president Hasem announcing Naser’s name publicly for the Malda North constituency, party bosses in Delhi made it clear that Mousam Noor would contest from the newly created seat. The fallout was obvious at Kotwali. “I have been stabbed in the back. A section of Congress leaders has ditched me after promising me a ticket. How dare they do that without consulting the district Congress president?” said a fuming Lebuda, who was so desperate that he enrolled himself as a voter from English Bazar despite being a Swiss citizen. Lebuda may have thought nothing could come in his way, given his family background. “The leaders told me I needed to submit the papers from the Swiss government before filing my nomination. Pranab Mukherjee told us not to worry and said it was his headache to get me through. Relying on this assurance, we came back. I have the papers from the Swiss government,” he said. Naser was so upset that he refused to take part in Mousam’s poll campaign. Mousam happens to be his niece and the daughter of sister Ruby Noor. “Why should I seek votes in her favour? Let Mousam garner support from her voters,” said Abu Naser Khan Choudhury. Sensing the mood in her family, Mousam came down to Kolkata to meet Pradesh Congress leaders and discuss ways to sort out the tricky family problem. “AICC has given me the ticket. I will fight the elections following in the footsteps of my uncle, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury,” Mousam said. “If elected, I’ll focus on youth issues. I had never hoped I would be selected, but as there was a technical problem with my uncle’s nomination, the party chose me.” Daluda is a little upset. “We were told by Pranabda that Lebuda would be the candidate and we believed him. But his candidature may have been denied because of technical problems,” said Daluda. However, his explanation failed to satisfy followers, who even blocked Hasem’s car while he was out campaigning. Kotwali loyalists also took the high command decision as a setback. Only on Wednesday, they had garlanded Lebuda and taken him on a roadshow soon after Daluda announced his candidature. The scene started changing from Wednesday evening when the AICC took exception to Daluda’s announcing his brother’s name without consulting the Delhi bosses. Worse, the requisite papers regarding Naser’s citizenship had not reached AICC. K Keshav Rao, AICC observer for West Bengal Pradesh Congress, reportedly reacted sharply to this.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Daluda, Lebuda and Mousam — when it comes to looking for leaders, Malda Congress cannot look beyond Barkatda’s family. This time was supposed to be no different. Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, or Daluda, was contesting from Malda South, niece Mousam had won the Sujapur Assembly bypoll. So, how could brother Naser Khan, or Lebuda, be left out? But the Congress high command had other plans. Within a day of district Congress president Hasem announcing Naser’s name publicly for the Malda North constituency, party bosses in Delhi made it clear that Mousam Noor would contest from the newly created seat. The fallout was obvious at Kotwali. “I have been stabbed in the back. A section of Congress leaders has ditched me after promising me a ticket. How dare they do that without consulting the district Congress president?” said a fuming Lebuda, who was so desperate that he enrolled himself as a voter from English Bazar despite being a Swiss citizen. Lebuda may have thought nothing could come in his way, given his family background. “The leaders told me I needed to submit the papers from the Swiss government before filing my nomination. Pranab Mukherjee told us not to worry and said it was his headache to get me through. Relying on this assurance, we came back. I have the papers from the Swiss government,” he said. Naser was so upset that he refused to take part in Mousam’s poll campaign. Mousam happens to be his niece and the daughter of sister Ruby Noor. “Why should I seek votes in her favour? Let Mousam garner support from her voters,” said Abu Naser Khan Choudhury. Sensing the mood in her family, Mousam came down to Kolkata to meet Pradesh Congress leaders and discuss ways to sort out the tricky family problem. “AICC has given me the ticket. I will fight the elections following in the footsteps of my uncle, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury,” Mousam said. “If elected, I’ll focus on youth issues. I had never hoped I would be selected, but as there was a technical problem with my uncle’s nomination, the party chose me.” Daluda is a little upset. “We were told by Pranabda that Lebuda would be the candidate and we believed him. But his candidature may have been denied because of technical problems,” said Daluda. However, his explanation failed to satisfy followers, who even blocked Hasem’s car while he was out campaigning. Kotwali loyalists also took the high command decision as a setback. Only on Wednesday, they had garlanded Lebuda and taken him on a roadshow soon after Daluda announced his candidature. The scene started changing from Wednesday evening when the AICC took exception to Daluda’s announcing his brother’s name without consulting the Delhi bosses. Worse, the requisite papers regarding Naser’s citizenship had not reached AICC. K Keshav Rao, AICC observer for West Bengal Pradesh Congress, reportedly reacted sharply to this.
Brother Who Ditched Ghani Welcomed Back, But Dispute Over Citizenship
MALDA PUZZLE DANCE Of DEMOCRACY
Cong in dynasty dilemma
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: Like in Delhi, dynasty rules Congress politics in Malda. Congress icon ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury may have passed away In 2006, but his shadow looms large over the district, where family ties, friendship and enmity are the brushstrokes that make up the grand political canvas. When Ghani Khan, known as Barkatda to all, ruled Malda politics, the leader’s Kotwali residence was the focus of all the attention. Even after his death, Malda residents stood by Barkatda’s family. Ghani’s younger brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury or Daluda won the Lok Sabha bypoll from Malda on a Congress ticket after Ghani’s death. Ghani’s sister Ruby Noor was an MLA and district Congress president till she died. Ruby’s daughter was elected from Sujapur in the Assembly bypoll recently. All was well till Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, Ghani’s second brother, came back from Switzerland to join the poll fray. Better known as Lebuda, Naser had left the country to become a Swiss citizen following a tiff with Ghani. The elder brother never forgave Naser, who had run away with Ghani’s wife. So, till Ghani was alive, Naser was persona non grata in Malda politics. Things changed post 2006. Blood ties proved supreme and younger brother Hasem Khan, now an MP, wants the Congress high command to give Naser a ticket from the newly created Malda North constituency. The problem with Naser is he had his name enrolled in the voter’s list under the English Bazaar Assembly constituency (EPIC No. 2994127), despite being a foreign citizen. This led to an enquiry by the Election Commission, prompting Naser to surrender his foreign citizenship. But a clearance from the Swiss government is still awaited. This has left the Congress high command in a quandary. It is still waiting for Abu Naser to get the clearance, giving the Opposition CPM an advantage in the run-up to the polls. The foreign question apart, Ghani loyalists in the Congress are yet to come to terms with Lebuda’s past — the way he “betrayed” Barkatda, who has fierce loyalists in Malda. Erosion victims like Kedar Mandal or migrant labourers like Taslim Sain still remember how Barkatda would visit their villages once a month and ask “Ki khabor toder? (How are you people?)” Old-timers recall how Abu Naser fought the 1996 elections against his elder brother as an Independent with tacit support of the rival CPM. Naser failed badly and kept away from Kotwali since then, only to return after Ghani’s death. “How do we accept a person who ditched Barkatda when elections here are still being fought in his name? Will people vote for him?” said Narendra Nath Tiwari, chairman of English Bazaar Municipality and district Intuc chief. Others gave a piece of their mind to AICC observers who had come over to Malda on two occasions. All of them spoke in favour of Sabitri Mitra, a four-time MLA and Ghani Khan’s close aide till his last. Even a section of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress was in Mitra’s favour. The controversy over Lebuda’s citizenship has thus come in handy for these Congress leaders. The fact is, Abu Naser took Swiss citizenship way back in 1963. The matter came to light after Hasem Khan wrote to the joint secretary (foreigners) in the Union home ministry on December 22, 2008, regarding his brother’s resumption of Indian citizenship under Section 8(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Without this, he wouldn’t be able to fight an election. On January 2, 2009, the joint secretary (foreigners) wrote back, pointing out that under the Citizenship Act, once an Indian citizen renounces Indian nationality, he cannot re-acquire Indian citizenship automatically. He advised Naser to apply for Indian citizenship. The controversy took a new turn after it was found that Naser had enrolled himself as a voter in Malda despite his foreign citizenship. Naser’s niece Mousam Noor on Monday said: “Naser Khan is going to be the candidate. The delay is technical. Things will get sorted out after the papers from Switzerland arrive.” She also hinted that if Naser was not given ticket, she might be the candidate. Supporters of Naser have already begun campaigning for him. Graffiti were seen at a number of places in North Malda in his support. “With barely 40 days left before the polls on April 30, we have not yet got a candidate. Worse, too many rumours are doing the rounds. We don’t know how we’ll manage in such a short time as CPM has already started campaigning,” said Congress MLA Krishnendu Choudhury.
Cong in dynasty dilemma
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: Like in Delhi, dynasty rules Congress politics in Malda. Congress icon ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury may have passed away In 2006, but his shadow looms large over the district, where family ties, friendship and enmity are the brushstrokes that make up the grand political canvas. When Ghani Khan, known as Barkatda to all, ruled Malda politics, the leader’s Kotwali residence was the focus of all the attention. Even after his death, Malda residents stood by Barkatda’s family. Ghani’s younger brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury or Daluda won the Lok Sabha bypoll from Malda on a Congress ticket after Ghani’s death. Ghani’s sister Ruby Noor was an MLA and district Congress president till she died. Ruby’s daughter was elected from Sujapur in the Assembly bypoll recently. All was well till Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, Ghani’s second brother, came back from Switzerland to join the poll fray. Better known as Lebuda, Naser had left the country to become a Swiss citizen following a tiff with Ghani. The elder brother never forgave Naser, who had run away with Ghani’s wife. So, till Ghani was alive, Naser was persona non grata in Malda politics. Things changed post 2006. Blood ties proved supreme and younger brother Hasem Khan, now an MP, wants the Congress high command to give Naser a ticket from the newly created Malda North constituency. The problem with Naser is he had his name enrolled in the voter’s list under the English Bazaar Assembly constituency (EPIC No. 2994127), despite being a foreign citizen. This led to an enquiry by the Election Commission, prompting Naser to surrender his foreign citizenship. But a clearance from the Swiss government is still awaited. This has left the Congress high command in a quandary. It is still waiting for Abu Naser to get the clearance, giving the Opposition CPM an advantage in the run-up to the polls. The foreign question apart, Ghani loyalists in the Congress are yet to come to terms with Lebuda’s past — the way he “betrayed” Barkatda, who has fierce loyalists in Malda. Erosion victims like Kedar Mandal or migrant labourers like Taslim Sain still remember how Barkatda would visit their villages once a month and ask “Ki khabor toder? (How are you people?)” Old-timers recall how Abu Naser fought the 1996 elections against his elder brother as an Independent with tacit support of the rival CPM. Naser failed badly and kept away from Kotwali since then, only to return after Ghani’s death. “How do we accept a person who ditched Barkatda when elections here are still being fought in his name? Will people vote for him?” said Narendra Nath Tiwari, chairman of English Bazaar Municipality and district Intuc chief. Others gave a piece of their mind to AICC observers who had come over to Malda on two occasions. All of them spoke in favour of Sabitri Mitra, a four-time MLA and Ghani Khan’s close aide till his last. Even a section of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress was in Mitra’s favour. The controversy over Lebuda’s citizenship has thus come in handy for these Congress leaders. The fact is, Abu Naser took Swiss citizenship way back in 1963. The matter came to light after Hasem Khan wrote to the joint secretary (foreigners) in the Union home ministry on December 22, 2008, regarding his brother’s resumption of Indian citizenship under Section 8(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Without this, he wouldn’t be able to fight an election. On January 2, 2009, the joint secretary (foreigners) wrote back, pointing out that under the Citizenship Act, once an Indian citizen renounces Indian nationality, he cannot re-acquire Indian citizenship automatically. He advised Naser to apply for Indian citizenship. The controversy took a new turn after it was found that Naser had enrolled himself as a voter in Malda despite his foreign citizenship. Naser’s niece Mousam Noor on Monday said: “Naser Khan is going to be the candidate. The delay is technical. Things will get sorted out after the papers from Switzerland arrive.” She also hinted that if Naser was not given ticket, she might be the candidate. Supporters of Naser have already begun campaigning for him. Graffiti were seen at a number of places in North Malda in his support. “With barely 40 days left before the polls on April 30, we have not yet got a candidate. Worse, too many rumours are doing the rounds. We don’t know how we’ll manage in such a short time as CPM has already started campaigning,” said Congress MLA Krishnendu Choudhury.
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