As the countdown for the rural body polls scheduled on 8 July begins, minority voters this time would be a decisive factor for the ruling Trinamul Congress in the state. Furfura Sharif cleric, Pirzada Toha Siddiqui felt that the fielding of less number of minority candidates in threetier panchayat elections causes woes for the ruling party. Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of Trinamul Congress, recently met Toha at Furfura Sharif during the Nabo Jowar programme in Hooghly district.

Speaking to The Statesman, Toha, “Trinamul Congress should have given more importance in fielding minority candidates on party ticket. A section of minority voters are little aggrieved with party leadership at the local level in the districts.” “For instance, in Tarakeswar block, no minority candidate was considered by TMC to contest in 10 seats for panchayat presidents.

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Bagda block of North 24-Parganas district comprises 27 seats of panchayat presidents. But the same thing has happened there without giving tickets to any minority candidates. Only two or three Muslim candidates have been given tickets for 17 panchayat president seats in Jagatballavpur,” the Pirzada said. “Muslims workers, who are fighting for TMC have been ignored to contest with the party symbol in many districts.

The party leadership should have taken the issue into its account seriously. Despite these strategic loopholes, Trinamul Congress will get an absolute majority in the panchayat elections because of the Mamata Banerjee government’s different development projects and populist schemes,” he said. During its 34 years’ regime in the state, the CPM-led Left Front did nothing for the development of Furfura Sharif, the second important Muslim pilgrimage after Ajmer Sharif.

Trinamul Congressled government has done some works like development of roads, adequate supply of drinking water, street lights etc in Furfura Sharif,” according to him.