Mamata makes a dent in Ghani fort

Trinamool Congress managed to make a dent into the Congress bastion of Malda where the magic of ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury helped the party to win many elections in the past.

Trinamool Congress managed to make a dent into the Congress bastion of Malda where the magic of ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury helped the party to win many elections in the past. It seems that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees plan to get a foothold in Malda by fielding a Congress defector Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury from English Bazar Assembly seat bore fruit.

The party has done well in the English Bazar seat in Malda district. I have congratulated our candidate Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury for his win, the Chief Minister said.

Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury,who had won the seat in 2011 on a Congress ticket had defected to the Trinamool lately and was quickly made the tourism minister by Mamata. He defeated CPMs Koushik Mishra by 20,452 votes and relegated Congress candidate Narendra Nath Tiwari to the third position with 45,271 votes. In terms of vote share,Trinamool got 39.35 percent of votes polled with CPM and Congress garnering 27.98 and 25.16 per cent votes,respectively.

State Congress leaders said it was a time to introspect. Congress has a stronghold in Malda village and not urban Malda. English Bazar Assembly seat comprised two-third of Malda town,where Congress is slightly weak. Besides,Chowdhury being the chairman of English Bazar Municipality,he had his advantage which we lacked. Nevertheless,it is now time for us to introspect and investigate where we went wrong and once that is done,we will begin the repair job, said Pradeep Bhattacharya,president of the state Congress unit.

Rejinagar (Murshidabad)

Ministers Waterloo

Rabiul Alam Chowdhury (Cong): 66,876 votes

Sirajul Islam Mondal (RSP): 55,154 votes

Humayun Kabir (TMC): 40,911votes

Last Election: Kabir won the seat on a Congress ticket and polled 77,142 votes

English Bazar (Malda)

Mamatas saving grace

Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury (TMC): 70,791

Koushik Mishra (CPM): 50,339 votes

Narendra Nath Tiwari (Cong): 45,271 votes

Last Election: Chowdhury won the seat on Cong ticket by polling 89,421 votes