Congress ahead in Mangaldai civic poll campaign

From Our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, February 6: Along with the rest of the State, poll fever had gripped Mangaldai where 44 candidates are in fray in the ten wards of Mangaldai Municipality Board (MMB).

Candidates from different walks of society are trying to woo the electorate with myriad assurances. Significantly, the Congress is ahead in their poll campaign as the party has projected new and popular faces, including former AASU activists, sports organizers, airline staff, cultural organizers and woman activists. Significantly, except for candidature of former chairman of MMB Paran Das in Ward No. 10, the AGP has no prominent candidates while it has failed to project any in Ward No. 3 and 9. Though the Badaruddin Ajmal–led AIUDF domited the Darrang Zila Parishad, yet the AIUDF has not fielded any candidate in the civic poll.

The BJP had fielded former ward commissioner and AASU activist–cum–actor Girish Saikia in Ward No. 9, but the party has failed to put up prominent faces in other wards. Though AGP activist Swapan Kumar Ghosh had joined the BJP few days back, he was denied the BJP nomition in Ward No. 3. Significantly, popular youth activist Pradip Dhar (in Ward No. 1), former chairman of the recently dissolved MMB Rupali Das (Ward No. 4), her social worker husband Subrata Das (in Ward No. 3), social worker Shekhar Dutta of premier NGO Crystal Vision (in Ward No. 3), upcoming actor–cum–director yan Jyoti Kashyap (in Ward No. 8), former Ward Commissioners Ri Barua and Congress activist Jinkul Ali (both in Ward No.8) have posed strong challenges in the civic poll.

Ward No 1 has been reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Ward No. 2 for SC (Woman) while the Ward No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 have been reserved for woman candidates and Ward No. 3, 8, 9 and 10 have been kept open to all. In view of the alleged corruption and irregularities committed at the behest of certain Ward Commissioners of the previous body of MMB, the conscious circles in the district headquarters town here have expressed keen interest on electing new faces with a clean image.

The Congress has projected housewife Smita Rani Das in Ward No. 1, woman activist and daughter of a prominent freedom fighter Bharati Das in Ward No. 2, business man Sadhan Saha in Ward No. 3, cultural organizer Purnima Saikia in Ward No. 4, former ground staff of Spice Jet Jahar Begum in Ward No. 5, former chairperson of MMB Rumi Kalita in Ward No. 6, women activist Biju Saharia in Ward No. 7, former AASU activist  and Mandal Congress president Rakesh Barua in Ward No. 8, former AASU activist, cultural organizer and actor Krishnendu Deka in Ward No. 9 and former secretary of Mangaldai Sports Association (MSA),  the pioneer photo jourlist of the district and well known sports organizer Pratap Bordoloi in Ward No. 10.

The recent inclusion of local MLA Basanta Das in the State cabinet is also likely to have an impact on the civic poll this time.  

The BJP is going to have a tough time, especially after the Delhi election Vision Document goof–up in which Northeastern people were referred to as “immigrants”.

The AGP, which had a stronghold in Mangaldai town, has lost its grip due to lack of dedicated workers in the grass root level. Dealing a further blow to the AGP, former vice president of MMB and a dedicated AGP activist Swapan Kumar Ghosh, known as the close aide of former AGP legislator of Mangaldai Hiren Kumar Das, has resigned from the primary membership of the party.