Andamans diary: Congress, BJP head for straight forward battle
Election time
Finally, names of MP candidates for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections have been announced by political parties for the Andaman and Nicobar constituency. Unlike the last Lok Sabha elections, this year, the main contest will be between Vishal Jolly of the BJP and Kuldeep Rai Sharma of the Congress.
Others in the fray include Sanjay Meshak of AAP and Ayan Mandal from the Trinamool. Mandal is the grandson of late Manoranjan Bhakta, former MP of A&N Islands.
Another important name in the contest for the archipelago is that of Minority Biswas, who filed her nomination as an Independent. In every election so far, the vote of the Bengali population has played a major role. This time, however, due to the absence of any Bengali candidate in any major political party, Biswas might eat into the BJP and Congress votes.
Marijuana cultivation
The CCS and CID units of the Andaman and Nicobar Police recently conducted a joint raid at Sagar Dweep area of North Andaman and arrested one person for allegedly growing marijuana near his house. According to sources the accused was cultivating the illegal plant in a plantation and the joint team has seized 16 long plants from it.
The accused was immediately arrested by the team. Marijuana or ganja smuggling has become a very lucrative business and the cases of its cultivation are rising across the archipelago. Similar cases were reported from Diglipur and Little Andaman Islands, recently.
External support
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Andaman and Nicobar State Committee in a meeting convened on March 13 unanimously resolved to lend support to the Congress Candidate representing the Andaman & Nicobar Constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) and the Telugu Desam Party have also pledged support to the Congress Candidate Kuldeep Rai Sharma. However, the AIADMK, which is the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, has extended support to the BJP’s Vishal Jolly.
Evacuation
The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a medical evacuation of a 26-year-old woman suffering from obstructed labour, out from Car Nicobar to Port Blair, on the intervening night of 21st and 22nd March 2019.
Reacting quickly to the request for an evacuation, an Indian Air Force Dornier aircraft was immediately deployed and the patient was safely brought to Port Blair by 01:20 AM. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to GB Pant Hospital.
The ANC had received a request for immediate medical evacuation close to midnight from the BJR Hospital, Car Nicobar.
Sanjib Kumar Roy
Our correspondent in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
laurelsforsanjib@gmail.com