Englishbazar Municipality chairman Krishnendu Chowdhury (top) and Old Malda Municipality former chairman Bibhuti Ghosh, both of whom were present at the meeting today. Pictures by Surajit Roy

Malda, April 26: As the verdict today went out in favour of the CPM?s candidate for ward no. 17 of the Old Malda Municipality, Santosh Ghosh, an aggrieved Congress called a district-wide strike on Thursday to protest against the ?partisan? attitude of the returning officer.

The Congress, which suffered a huge setback yesterday after the nominations of 17 of its candidates from the same civic body were cancelled, also demanded that Ghosh be immediately dropped on the grounds that he was a contractor with the municipal body.

Subdivisional officer-cum-returning officer Subrata Sarkar, however, stood by his word today, reiterating that Ghosh?s nomination was ?very much valid?.

?The question of cancellation of Ghosh?s nomination does not arise. It is not true that he is a contractor of Old Malda Municipality. He is a member of an engineers? cooperative union,? Sarkar certified at his office today.

According to him, Ghosh had even resigned from the union before he filed his nomination. ?But even if he had not resigned, there would be no bar in his contesting an election,? the returning officer pointed out. Ghosh, he said, was a registered planner of the Old Malda Municipality.

?This is purely a private trade. How can one demand the cancellation of his nomination?? he said. The controversial nomination papers were once again scrutinised today in the presence of additional district magistrate Bhabani Prasad Barat and leaders of the Congress, Trinamul Congress and the BJP, allies in the Englishbazar municipality board.

According to Barat, the Congress unable to cope with its own loss was ?looking for an issue?. ?The returning officer had done nothing wrong. But what happened last night is not expected from the leaders of an established political party,? he added.

The Trinamul Congress and the BJP have extended their support for the bandh call and demanded immediate removal of the subdivisional officer. Last night Sarkar was gheraoed by thousands of Congress, BJP and Trinamul Congress supporters who went on the rampage inside the Malda collectorate.

Addressing a press conference this afternoon, the leadership of the three parties alleged that the SDO was working on behalf of the CPM. ?Free and fair election? would not be possible, they claimed, if Sarkar remained in the chair.

On the other hand, members of the WBCS Executive Association met district magistrate Abhijit Chowdhry in protest against last night?s incident.

Asked about the matter, district superintendent of police Sashi Kant Poojari said: ?Police force had been deployed outside the SDO?s office. If he does not seek our help what can we do??