In Briefs

N K Sahana,special secretary of the CEO,West Bengal,said undertrial prisoners can contest polls.

Microphones start blaring in north Bengal,courtesy HC

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday passed an interim order allowing the use of microphones between 10 am and 8 pm for electioneering in six districts going to polls,barring Darjeeling town,from April 9.The moves comes as a relief to political parties,which been barred from using microphones till April 14 by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board. Most parties,particularly the Congress,are likely to reschedule their campaigns,and the proposed rallies of party chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi may be brought forward. Rahul was supposed to address rallies in Murshidabad and Malda on April 14. Sonia and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee were supposed to address joint rallies at Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar tentatively on April 16,according to Congress sources.

Cong to take on SUCI in Kultali

Kolkata: The Congress has decided to take on Trinamool Congress ally SUCI in South 24 Parganas. The Congress will field candidates against SUCI nominees in Joynagar and Kultali in the district which Trinamool has left for SUCI. Former Congress MP Manoranjan Haldar will contest from Joynagar and Sujit Patwari from Kultali. The SUCI had decided to contest 31 seats against the Congress,mostly against party leaders such as Manas Bhunia in West Midnapore’s Sabang and Abhijit Mukherjee in Birbhum’s Nalhati.