Independent candidate Dilip Kumar withdraws candidature in Silchar

Dilip Kumar, who had filed his nomination as an independent candidate in Silchar for the Lok Sabha election, withdrew his candidature on Friday.

Altogether, fourteen candidates including Rajdeep Roy (BJP), Sushmita Dev (Congress), Nazia Yasmin Mazumder (National People’s Party), Hitabrata Roy (All India Trinamool Congress), Badrul Islam Barbhuiya (All India Forward Bloc), Shyam Deo Kurmi (Socialist Unity Centre of India – Communist) along with eight others (as independent candidates) had filed nominations in Silchar.

Speaking to media-persons on Friday afternoon, Dilip Kumar said he had a vision to work for the welfare of tea communities in the valley for which he wanted to contest in the polls. He had been raising voice for progress and development of the tea communities over the years and that he had been receiving a lot of encouragement and support from various circles after he filed his nomination, he said.

He said he had received a letter from chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who requested him to go to Guwahati for a meeting to discuss their issues and demands. Accordingly, a five-member group including him went to Guwahati and met minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (on behalf of Sonowal), who listened to their demands and also assured that their demands would be considered seriously, he said.

He said Sarma told them that the government would have a meeting in this regard after the elections and requested him to withdraw his candidature. Following that, he discussed about this with his supporters and decided to not take part in the election-battle, he said.

When asked if any local BJP leader talked to tried to talk to him regarding withdrawal of his candidature, he denied and said he was contacted directly by the chief minister’s office. The government has responded in affirmative to our demands. That was why the decision of withdrawing the candidature was taken, he said.