Siliguri, Jan. 18: The SFI emerged victorious in elections to two college unions in Siliguri today even as the Opposition — the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad and the Chhatra Parishad — claimed that none of its supporters cast their votes because of a state holiday.
“We have won by a wide margin in Siliguri ITI College at 2nd Mile and Kalipada Ghosh Terai Mahavidyalaya in Bagdogra. We dedicate this win and victories in other colleges of Siliguri to our respected leader Jyoti Basu,” said Saurav Das, the SFI’s district secretary.
In the Bagdogra college, the TMCP, CP, SFI, All India Democratic Students’ Organisation, Kamptapur Students’ Organisation and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad were in the fray, while the contest was between the SFI and TMCP-CP alliance in Siliguri ITI located on the outskirts of the town.
“Most of our supporters thought that the college would remain closed today because of the state holiday that was declared after Basu’s death so they did not turn up to cast their votes. There were also very less vehicles plying today making it difficult for them to come to the college,” said Swagata Ghosh, the district working president of the TMCP.
The KSO contested on its own in the Bagdogra college this time, dividing the votes and facilitating the SFI’s victory, he said.
The SFI won 13 of the 18 seats on the men’s campus of the Siliguri ITI and seven of the eight seats on the women’s campus. The TMCP-CP alliance bagged five (three by TMCP and two by CP) and one seat respectively.
At the Bagdogra college, election was held in 113 seats amid deployment of a large force. “Of the 3,204 voters, 2,305 have cast their votes, recording a 72 per cent turn out,” said Ranjit Das, the college principal.
Despite the SFI win, confusion prevailed on the total number of seats bagged by the rivals. “We have won 69 seats and the TMCP-CP alliance has 44,” the SFI secretary said.
The Opposition, however, gave a different figure. “We have bagged 52 seats and the SFI has won in 61,” said Abhijit Roy Chowdhury, the Siliguri Town Chhatra Parishad president. College sources, however, said the SFI has formed the union with 69 seats.
