The Congress leadership in Malda experienced both relief and concern on the final day of nomination filing for the first phase of the Assembly elections scheduled for April 23.
In an important development for the party, Mottakin Alam, a former MLA from Manikchak, could file his nomination from the Ratua Assembly constituency after his name was reinstated in the electoral roll on Monday.
Alam’s name had earlier been excluded from the preliminary “final” list published on February 28 because of discrepancies flagged during the special intensive revision (SIR) process by the Election Commission.
The issue reportedly stemmed from inconsistencies in his father’s name and an unusual age gap noted during verification. His name was subsequently placed under
adjudication.
Alam approached the Supreme Court of India, seeking relief. His petition was forwarded to the appellate tribunal, which on Monday ordered his inclusion in the voter list, clearing the way for his candidature.
Despite the last-minute development, Alam managed to submit his nomination before the deadline after being granted additional time by election officials.
“I am happy to have filed my nomination as a valid voter,” Alam said after completing the process.
While the party was elated because of Alam’s nomination from Ratua, it faced a setback in the Chanchal Assembly constituency.
Asif Mehbub, the official Congress candidate, will now face competition from expelled party leader Anzarul Haque, also known as Johny, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the seat.
The move, party insiders said, can split votes and might complicate the party’s prospects in the seat.
Isha Khan Chowdhury, the district Congress president, expressed confidence in Mehbub.
“Party workers in Chanchal will support the official Congress nominee and not any independent candidate. We are happy that Mottakin Alam could file his nomination,” he said.