Row Over Cattle Smuggler's Son-In-Law In WB Poll Contest For TMC
Interestingly, Dr Aziz was among the 13 candidates who were inducted to TMC, hours before the announcement of the party's candidate list on March 17: Reports
BERHAMPORE: A controversy has hit young doctor-turned-Trinamul Congress candidate, Abdul Aziz, at Lalgola assembly constituency in Murshidabad of West Bengal after he has been found to be the son-in-law of the kingpin of cattle smuggling scam: Enamul Haque.
Dr Aziz (31) is a paediatrician. His wife Masuda Khatun is also a doctor. She is the elder daughter of Enamul, originally from Nasipur in Lalgola. Enamul has been out on bail after his jail custody following his arrest by central agencies in the scam.
Interestingly, Dr Aziz was among the 13 candidates who were inducted to TMC, hours before the announcement of the party's candidate list on March 17. He replaced TMC MLA Mohammad Ali who had ended Congress' victory-run at Lalgola in 2021 since independence.
Mr Ali said that he has heard his replacement’s family background including his father-in-law but asserted that he can campaign for him if their party asks him to.
Murshidabad district Congress chief Manoj Chakraborty alleged, "The Lalgola TMC candidate’s father-in-law is an infamous cattle smuggler. TMC is thus polluting the political ecosystem in Bengal with the help of money and muscle power to terrorize the voters to win the polls."
BJP Berhampore district president Moloy Mahajan also claimed, "Kalighat and I-PAC are now synonymous with divisional, criminalisation, cut-money politics. That's why they gave a cattle smuggler's son-in-law a ticket to contest the polls.”
Dr Aziz however said, "The opposition parties can't fight me politically as a young candidate. So they are trying to malign my image and that of my father-in-law and other family members. But they will fail. I hate personal mudslinging and dirty politics."
Meanwhile, TMC captured Lalgola Panchayat Samiti from the control of Congress by inducting six Congress functionaries of the body, including chairperson Laksmi Sarkar, in presence of Dr Aziz on Sunday.