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The State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday said it had revoked the candidacy of Muhairuddin Ghazi, a TMC gram panchayat candidate from Kumargol in North 24 Parganas district after finding that he was not in the country during the filing of nomination papers.
The SEC’s decision comes even as a petition to annul Ghazi’s candidacy is pending in the Kolkata High Court.
We requested a report from the Immigration Department and they confirmed that when the nomination was submitted, Muhairuddin Ghazi was not present in the country. Therefore, we have taken the decision to cancel his candidacy,” said a senior SEC official.
Last week, a CPI(M) candidate filed a petition in the Kolkata High Court, alleging that Ghazi’s nomination papers were filed while he was in Saudi Arabia. The petitioner also submitted a communication from the Hajj Committee stating that Ghazi has been in Saudi Arabia since 4 June and is scheduled to remain there until 16 July.
The nomination process for the 8 July Panchayat elections started on 9 June and concluded on 15 June.
While accepting the petition, Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court dismissed the SEC over the lapse and requested a response at the earliest.
Incidentally, Ghazi’s wife is a two-time Gram panchayat chairwoman in Kumargol. This time, with the seat not reserved for women, the TMC sent Ghazi.
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