Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 29 February 2024
In a recent development, Dr. Arun Kumar Mallik has been announced as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate for the upcoming General Elections to the Lok Sabha from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands constituency.
Dr. Mallik, a seasoned professional in the health sector, hails from the islands himself. Holding an MD in Community Medicine from AIIMS, New Delhi, his credentials are impressive. He has garnered extensive experience working in various capacities, notably serving as the WHO Coordinator – Health Cluster (HCC) and with esteemed UN agencies such as UNDP/UNV, UNESCAP, UNESCO, UNIOM, UNFAO & WHO. Additionally, Dr. Mallik has contributed his expertise to institutions like the Bangkok School of Tropical Medicine in Thailand, several international NGOs, as well as entities like RMRC/ICMR, SCI, and the A & N Administration (DHS, AAJVS & ANIIMS).
Alongside Dr. Mallik, other contenders in the electoral fray include Mr. V K Abdul Aziz, who has been declared as the candidate for the Andaman and Nicobar Janta Party. Furthermore, there are strong speculations suggesting that the CPIM is on the verge of announcing Mr. D Ayyappan as its candidate for the same constituency.
However, the electoral landscape in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands remains incomplete as both the major political parties, BJP and Congress, are yet to reveal their respective candidates for the upcoming elections.