WEST BENGAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Janata Dal fields four candidates in North Bengal

State unit president of the Janata Dal (United) Mr Amitava Dutta is coming to Cooch Behar to campaign in favour of the party's candidate at Dinhata. Mr Dutta will attend a workers' meet and a rally at Dinhata on Monday in support of Mr Narayan Barman. Mr Barman is contesting with Arrow symbol. In the party workers and activists' meet Mr Dutta will discuss the present political scenario and the stance of the party. 

JD (U) general secretary Mr Ashok Das said their four candidates in North Bengal are : Mr Narayan Barman (Dinhata), Adhir Singha (Siliguri), Mr Hem Ranjan Mandal (Karandighi) and Mr Manjur Ellahi Munsi (Baishnabnagar). Mr Das claimed that the organisational strength of JD (U) is better than before in those Assembly constituencies and so they have decided to field candidates.

Political sources in Cooch Behar said a section of the proponents of a separate Greater Cooch Behar state has extended their support to the JD (U) at Dinhata and so the JD (U) candidate Mr Barman may bag considerable number of votes there. 

Trinamul expels its rebel candidate at Mekhliganj

The Trinamul Congress has expelled its rebel leader Mr Sunil Ray, who is the Mekhliganj block unit president of the party. Mr Ray committed a crime by fielding himself as an independent candidate at Mekhliganj segment and so he was punished.

Mr Ray however said that the party leadership did what they considered good. "I think I am a loyal Trinamul soldier and I will continue to be so because I am a follower of Miss Mamata Banerjee's ideals", he said. "After the election, If my party wants I shall go back into the party again", he added.

Confirming the expulsion of Mr Ray, the district unit president of the Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh said Mr Ray was expelled for defying party's decision. The activists who are accompanying Mr Ray may also face punitive measures, Mr Ghosh warned. 

Mentionworthy, the Mekhliganj seat was allotted to the Congress but Mr Sunil Ray appeared there to contest when he and his followers failed to convince the party leadership to keep the seat, as the Trinamul candidate was the second position holder in the previous election. The party leadership ignored the appeal and offered the seat to the Congress. Following the development the local Trinamul Congress activists fielded Mr Ray as an independent candidate. A large number of Congressmen are also supporting him, as they are dissatisfied over their official candidate.

Earlier, the outgoing MLA of Sitai Dr Fazle Haque got suspended from the Congress as he fielded himself at Dinhata as an independent candidate. A senior AICC member Dr Haque made it clear that he got suspended automatically from the Congress when he submitted his nomination paper as an independent candidate.

Dr Haque's followers wanted the Dinhata seat for the Congress but the Trinamul Congress gave it to the NCP. Angry with the decision many local Congress leaders and activists came out to support him. Aggrieved local Trinamul activists also extended their support to him following the party's decision to offer its sole winning seat to another party.