ELECTION IN DECEMBER
Sources said names of candidates for the posts of presidents and vice-presidents come from 165 branches of IMA spread across Bengal. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
Kolkata: The first Indian Medical Association (IMA) elections after a change of guard in Bengal may see a straight fight between the old BJP loyalists and the new BJP inductees, several IMA members told TOI. Sources said incumbent state secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP of Trinamool Congress, Santanu Sen, who still wields considerable influence in IMA’s state organisation, is likely to propose a panel of his loyalists. Das, who served as secretary of IMA’s wing for doctors employed in state-run hospitals, told TOI he would act as per directions of the party. But everything depends on instructions from the party,” Das said. Sources said Sen also shares a good rapport with Madhuchanda Kar, an oncologist who was recently inducted into BJP president Nitin Nabin’s team as a national vice president. In an internal WhatsApp group of IMA members, Sen recently posted how “all our candidates got elected and it is a historic victory of our group”. IMA is above politics and it is a body to advocate interests of all doctors,” she told TOI. Sen said IMA was “a democratically elected body of doctors”.
Of late, Sen’s Facebook page is filled with reposts of CM Suvendu Adhikari’s posts. In one post, he has also shared a picture with Kartik Maharaj, who has been appointed chairperson of the state’s road naming/renaming committee by BJP govt. On the other hand is a mix of doctors who have been BJP loyalists for years and some others who allegedly courted the TMC for some time before shifting to BJP. BJP’s Singur MLA Arup Kumar Das could be a key character in the polls. “If the party wants us to fight Sen and his panel, we will do that. Kar’s clout as a key organisation hand of BJP at the national level could also turn out to be a clinching factor. The list of names features Kar as the honorary editor of Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA). Kar did not want to comment on the elections. “How can I say anything now? He did not want to comment on internal politics of the upcoming IMA elections. The secretary is the most important office-bearer as the person is involved with IMA’s daily affairs. These names will be submitted during Sunday’s meeting. The names of candidates for secretary, joint secretaries, assistant secretaries, treasurer and assistant treasurer will be proposed by members present during Sunday’s meeting. Download the TOI App.
IMA Bengal chapter’s state council meeting will be held on Sunday where members will propose names of candidates for the Dec elections. Let me first see what names are proposed on Sunday.