Congress banks on Ghani legacy in Malda South

Former Railway Minister and Congress' late stalwart Abu Barkat Ataur Ghani Khan Choudhury, popularly known as 'Barkat Da' still casts a spell on voters even three years after his death for Malda South Lok Sabha seat which goes to polls on April 30.  

It is advantage for Congress candidate and Barkat Da's brother, Abu Hasem Khan Coudhury who time and again has reminded the people of his elder brother's love for Malda which was made a separate railway division by the senior Khan Choudhury.  He also helped many locals to get jobs in the railways during his tenure as Railway minister in the early 1980s.  After the death of 'Barkat Da' in 2006, Abu Hasem won parliamentary by-election in Malda Lok Sabha seat, a large part of it remains with the newly-formed Malda South Lok Sabha constituency.          

Incidentally, 'Barkat-Da' won Malda seat for eight consecutive times since 1980.         

Abu Hasem too is promising to follow his brother's path of development in the local area to etch his name in the memory of voters for long. He has been frequently invoking Barkat Da's name while seeking votes and his main rival, CPI-M's candidate, Abdur Rezzaque finds little space to combat Bengal's most favourite Railway minister.