After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Malda yesterday, the Congress leadership has planned to invite party’s national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning, just to retain Maldah Dakshin Lok Sabha seat.

Party sources said that they were waiting for confirmation from the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on her Malda visit.

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“Priyanka may campaign for two Congress candidates in a suitable location near Gour Malda on 30 April or 3 May. It depends on the availability of her time. We have sent a proposal to the party high command and are waiting for confirmation of her schedule,” said one of the vote managers of Congress candidate Isha Khan Choudhury.

It may be noted that PM Modi, addressing the audiences in Malda yesterday, had criticised the Congress.

Narendra Modi had pointed out that the Congress has been committing a ‘dacoity’ on the OBCs’ reservation rights to introduce reservation on the basis of religion for Muslims against Constitutional provisions. Congress will try to loot the claim of SC, ST and OBCs and give them to others.

Mr Khan Choudhury, who is contesting from Maldah (Dakshin) and his team conducted a survey immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting to know about voters’ sentiment. To beat the BJP candidate here, both the Congress and Trinamul Congress candidates are contesting each other, banking on the anti-BJP voters.

Notably, the BJP leaders and supporters are confidently campaigning that the party candidate will win due to religious polarisation of voters. It is learnt that a section is working against party candidate Sreerupa Mitra Choudhury, who is also an MLA from English Bazaar.

As a result, the Congress leadership is trying hard to garner votes by reducing the share of Trinamul Congress candidate Sehnaj Ali Rehan.

Notably, Abu Hasan Khan Choudhury, brother of the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, was elected from Maldah Dakshin LS seat in last three consecutive terms.

Khan Choudhury, keeping in mind people’s sentiment, after sharp polarization of his vote bank, was in favour of a political understanding between the Congress and Trinamul Congress.

Finally, Khan Choudhury, owing to his illness, decided to field his son Isha Khan Choudhury, who was elected as an MLA from Baishnabnagar and from Sujapur twice. But he was defeated in the Assembly polls in 2021 from Sujapur. Trinamul Congress candidate had bagged the seat.

Notably, he contested Lok Sabha polls in 2019 from Maldah (Uttar) on Congress ticket, from where, BJP candidate Khagen Murmu was elected as Trinamul Congress candidate Mousam Noor shared huge votes from anti-BJP camp.