Malda, Aug. 6: The Congress has asked for the BJP hand in the Malda Zilla Parishad to prevent the CPM from occupying the saha sabhadhipati’s chair.

In the 34-strong zilla parishad, the saha sabhadhipati’s post is reserved for Scheduled Caste. The Congress with 18 members formed the board on July 7, but it does not have any elected SC member.

District president of the BJP Jatin Ghosh told reporters today that the Congress approached them in writing. “We have accepted the proposal.”

Ghosh’s counterpart in the Congress, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, said his party would support the BJP’s lone member, Mohan Tudu, for the post as he belongs to the SC.

The date for the election to the post has not been declared.

Criticising the move, Jiban Moitra, the district chairman of the Left Front and secretary of the CPM, said the Congress had exposed itself. Khan Chowdhury, however, saw “nothing wrong or unethical” in it.

The elections of members to the 32 permanent committees of the zilla parishad saw stormy scenes during the day. All the 30 Left Front members walked out and boycotted the polls, paving the way for other members to get elected uncontested.

Moitra alleged that the committee members had been elected “violating all norms”. According to him, the panchayat rule says the elections should be held through secret ballots issued by the presiding officer. Each member has to collect the ballot paper from the presiding officer and drop it in a box after casting the vote. But here ballot papers were supplied to each table of the members, which violated the secrecy. “We have lodged a written complaint with the Jaipaiguri divisional commissioner,” the CPM leader said.

District magistrate and executive officer of the parishad Chittaranjan Das said he would inquire into today’s development. The administration had imposed Section 144 outside the zilla parishad building in view of the elections.