SANTHOSH CHANDRAN

DOHA WITH the deadline for filing nomination for election of Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) office bearers including president and seven management committee members expiring on Thursday, a total of 12 hopefuls have been left in the fray.

Functioning directly under the Indian Embassy here, ICBF is engaged in supporting the needy and underprivileged members of the Indian expatriate community in Qatar and their families back home in India.

While speaking to Qatar Tribune, First Secretary in the Indian embassy MR Qureshi said that with the withdrawal of nomination by Mohd Habib-Un-Nabi on Thursday, only Mohammed Essa and Kareem Abdulla are left in the race for the post of president.

April 17 is the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

Chief Coordinating Officer of ICBF and Second Secretary in the Indian mission Anil Nautiyal said, “The embassy has received 11 nominations for the posts of seven management committee members.” Those seeking election as management committee members are K Nazar, N Santhosh, Devis E, Jaffer Khan, Bilal Mohammed, Wilson Babu, Clarence, Ramachandra Shetty, Mohd Habib-Un-Nabi, Aravind Patil and Milan Arun.

As one post in the committee is reserved for a woman, Milan Arun, the only woman candidate left in the ring, will automatically get elected to the committee.

Mohd Habib-Un-Nabi who has withdrawn his candidature for the president’s post said, “I withdrew on my own in the larger interest of the majority of ICBF members. The presence of Mohammed Essa in the fray was the other reason why I opted out. Essa can serve the community better than me.

As an organiser and a member of Kerala expatriate community, he has an excellent track record of serving the Indian community in Qatar.” The election will be held at the Ashoka Hall of Indian Cultural Centre on April 20.

The president and seven management committee members will be elected by the members. Indian ambassador, the patron of ICBF, will nominate five members after conclusion of the election. ICBF has around 1,500 members in Qatar.

The 13-member body will be reconstituted for a two-year tenure at the end of April.