KOLKATA, MAY 25: MUSLIM representation in the new West Bengal assembly remained at 59, the same as last time, constituting 20 percent of the total house strength of 294. However, the Trinamool Congress and Congress have more members from the community, while the Left’s share was reduced to half.
Among the newly elected Muslim members, 32 won on Trinamool Congress tickets, five more than the previous house.
The Congress managed to increase the number of its Muslim faces to 18 from 13 last time, reaping the benefit of its alliance with the Left Front.
On the other hand, the Left Front’s strength has gone down to nine from 18 five years back. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had 13 Muslim lawmakers in 2011. Now it has only eight.
Among other Left Front constituents, in the previous house the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) had two Muslim members each.
The Samajwadi Party had one legislator from the Muslim community in the previous house. This time, none of the Muslim candidates nominated by the RSP made it to the assembly, while the AIFB managed only one. The Samajwadi Party will have no representation in the new house. The prominent Muslim winners include Firhad Hakim, Javed Khan, Abdur Rezzak Mollah and Mohammed Siddiqullah (all Trinamool Congress), Abdul Mannan (Congress), Anisur Rahman (CPI-M) and Ali Imran Ramz (AIFB).
Among the major losers were minister Abdul Karim Chowdhary of the Trinamool from Islampur constituency, Sahajahan Choudhury of the CPI-M from Mangalkol, and Touab Ali of the CPI-M from Samserganj constituency.
Abu Nasar Khan Choudhury, the younger brother of late Congress stalwart A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, won from Sujapur constituency in Malda district as a Congress nominee in 2011.
But contesting on a Trinamool ticket, he lost to Congress nominee and his nephew Isha Khan Choudhury this time around.
The Trinamool Congress emerged victorious in 211 seats as the single largest party in the 294-member house. The Congress won 44 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win three seats. Among the Left parties, the Communist Party of India-Marxist won 26 seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party got three, the Communist Party of India secured one and the All India Forward Bloc won two seats. Independents and others won one seat.
