West Bengal Assembly Election

A Congress candidate fights against a MP

The Congress candidate of Sitai Assembly constituency Mr Keshab Ray feels that his fight is not against the Forward Bloc candidate Mr Dipak Ray, but against that party's MP Mr Nripendra Nath Ray.

Thus he explains the matter – a resident of Sitai, Mr Nripendra Nath Ray was the FB candidate against the Congress candidate Dr Fazle Haque at Sitai in 2006. Dr Haque defeated the FB candidate then. In 2009, the FB nominated Mr Nripendra Nath Ray as its candidate in Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency and he won. So, Mr Kesab Ray considers him as his de-facto rival.

The Congress candidate claimed that he enjoys blessings from the outgoing Congress MLA of Siati, Dr Fazle Haque. "I am not contesting here as a singular man, I am a candidate of the Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance and it is my strength", he said.

Mr Ray is a follower of the Congress since his student life. He is confident about victory. Making the long awaited bridge over Singimari river will be his first job after getting elected from Sitai, he promised. This bridge is very necessary to connect Dinhata with Sitai, he feels. Different political parties used the bridge issue only to woo the local voters during all the past elections but they did nothing to make it a reality, he said. The people of Sitai are suffering from lack of electricity, as the state government did not implement the Central scheme on rural electrification here. "It will be my duty to eradicate darkness from Sitai", he said.

Mr Kesab Ray, a teacher in profession, said, a wind of change is blowing over the state and the people of Sitai are also to follow the suit by pulling down the leftists from the seat of power. "There exists no controversy over my candidature and I am sure of victory as the supporters of the Congress and the Trinamul Congress are working here jointly", he claimed.