Mantaj Ali wins trust vote, foils Gautam’s ‘ploy’

SILCHAR, Oct 16: Karimganj Zilla Parishad president Mantaj Ali today defeated Azizur Rahman by 10 votes, although he needed only seven to sail through, in the no-confidence motion in the Zilla Parishad (ZP). Rahman had earlier claimed that the 21-member body had lost confidence on Ali. It has been alleged that the no-confidence motion was instigated by Excise Minister Gautam Roy.

Sources said the relation between Ali and Roy had started to sour recently and the latter had instigated ZP members to move a no-confidence motion against Ali to put him under pressure. But Mantaj Ali proved otherwise and did not bow down to Roy, whom he branded as an “outsider” in Karimganj.

It was also reported that Roy had directed the members of the Karimganj Municipality Board to elect Dr Manas Das as chairman by defeating veteran Congress leader Srikanta Bhattacharjee. But the district Congress was alarmed and suspected the intention of Roy who wanted to become the ultimate leader in the district, sources said.

On the other hand, Roy has already assumed the tag of being an “anti-Muslim” following his clash with Associate Congress MLA from South Karimganj Siddeque Ahmed, sources said. And now if Roy clips the wings of Mantaj Ali, the anti-Muslim label would be more prominent, the sources added. As such, Roy has been promoting Ajijur Rahman as the next president of the Zilla Parishad.

A Congress source said that a major group of the party had formed a team to teach Roy a lesson by making Ali a winner in the no-confidence motion passed against him. But Roy, sensing foul play, had been in constant touch with AUDF, BJP and ZP members. It was also reported that Roy was planning to gift a Bolero car to the ZP members who would vote against Ali.

Earlier, ZP vice-president Amaresh Roy responded to Roy’s instruction and accordingly resigned from the party. A legal expert said that in these circumstances the Deputy Commissioner might take over the charge of the ZP. THE SENTINEL