Congress, BJP begin preparatory works for civic polls

From Our Correspondent

SILCHAR, January 6: The two major political parties Congress and BJP have launched formal exercise to galvanise their cadres for the municipal polls to be held in February. The elections to Silchar Municipal Board are supposed to be held in the first week of February.

If the results of the 2014 Parliamentary elections and by–elections in Silchar constituency held a few months back are taken into consideration, then the BJP is on an better position. However, Congress has its own vote–bank in the Silchar municipal areas and the party won the last civic polls with thumping majority. In 2014 Parliamentary elections, the BJP candidate Kabindra Purkayastha got 22 thousands more votes than his rival candidate from Congress’s Sushmita Dev in Silchar constituency. However, Sushmita Dev had last laugh as she led in other constituencies.

Congress faced its worst defeat in the history of Silchar Assembly elections in the last by–elections. Congress candidate and the district Congress president Arun Dutta Mazumder lost against BJP’s Dilip Kumar Paul by 32 thousands votes. This shows that BJP has a huge vote bank in and around Silchar which might have an impact in the civic polls as well.

Meanwhile, the former Vice Chairman of Silchar Municipal Board Bijayendra Prasad Singh and the ward commissioner Binoy Krish Das recently joined BJP which also shove the base of the grand old party in Silchar.  Bijayendra Prasad Singh is used to be considered as a very strong leader when he was the Vice–Chairman of the Board.

While talking to the media, Silchar MLA Dilip Paul was confident that BJP would form the Board this time. He said that the people of Silchar are fed up with the Congress rule and they want change now. “We will give preference to the grassroots level while selecting the candidates from different wards. Along with the nod of ward committees, the ability and acceptance of the candidate concerned will be given the due importance. We will give tickets to such candidates who have a clear image,” said Paul. However, the thing is not as very simple as Paul remarked. It has been noticed that the numbers of aspirants for BJP tickets are very high in this polls. turally, when an individual will be given preference over others, there is a possibility of interl chasm within the party which might have a negative consequence in the elections. The interl–conflict is considered to be the main threat for every political party during elections.

On the other hand, the Congress leaderships have also geared up for the upcoming polls. As part of the preparation, a meeting was convened at Indira Bhawan here yesterday where all most all the top leaderships of the district Congress were seen. While talking to the reporters, Silchar MP Sushmita Dev said that the party trailed in Silchar in the last two elections and there are a slew reasons for that. She refused to buy to argument that Congress has lost its ground in Silchar. Dev pointed out that she was the chairman of the Silchar Municipal Board, won Assembly elections from Silchar and then became MP. So, according to her, it would be very understatement that Congress’s vote bank is very tattered in Silchar in particular. Sushmita Dev opined that if the party gave her the charge for the polls and allowed her to work independently; she could ensure the victory of the party in the upcoming Silchar municipal polls.