The wait is over. All across the borough voters relax in the knowledge that finally, finally, they know who Lutfur Rahman’s candidates are.
Or do they?
Mole thought it only fair that on this auspicious occasion that he should share with you the fruits of his intelligence gathering labour’s, and by ‘his’ we mean ‘yours’ of course!
Maium Miah, Maium Miah
There is only one Maium Miah. Or maybe two.
For some reason that we cannot explain Maium Miah keeps on referring to himself as Maium Talukdar. What’s with that Maium? To us, and everyone else, you will always be Maium Miah plain and simple.
OK, just simple then.
Maui’s main claim to fame, well his only claim to fame, is that he changes political parties more often than most people change their socks.
Famously first recruited as a Conservative party candidate on the Isle of Dogs Maium woke one morning after winning the election and thought “Oops! I am really a Labour Party man!” and flipped over to them. Then on another day he woke and just knew he was a Tower Hamlets First type of guy. And now he is an Aspire Party man through and through.
However check your ballot paper ‘cos this may change between now and then.
Rebz Rebaka Sultana
OK, technically Rebz Rebaka Sultana is a Labour Party candidate who has been selected to contest for Bethnal Green.
Odd thing is that as you can see from the 2014 election result below her husband Babu Chowdhury stood in Bethnal Green East in 2014 for Tower Hamlets First although was not elected.
Can you imagine the conversations at breakfast between husband and wife?
Babu Chowdhury: “Lutfur Rahman is lovely.”
Rebz Rebaka Sultana: “No he is not and John Biggs is much more lovelier.”
Babu Chowdhury: “Don’t be silly Lutfur Rahman is so lovely he is the loveliest man ever.”
Rebz Rebaka Sultana: “No, he was not a lovely Mayor and that nice John Biggs is a lovely Mayor.”
Etc…
You can see the issue. Mole has heard some terrible, unfounded and malicious rumours that Babu Chowdhury did try and get selected by Labour but was rejected.
As Rebz Rebaka Sultana is running as the Labour Party candidate it will be interesting to see if she immediately flips if elected as a Labour councillor and becomes an Aspire Party councillor?
Never happen.
Atia Begom Jorna
Who else is in the line-up? Ah yes, the only female candidate that the Aspire Party is fielding across the entire borough of 380,000 people (so 140,000 girls?) is none other than Atia Begom Jorna.
Pop quiz. Where have you heard that name before? Any idea? Give up?
Yes, that’s right, this is the very same Atia Begom Jorna we referenced in the story we wrote in October last year about the very odd and never really properly explained ASDA Crossharbour Development ‘Fun Day’ Kerfuffle – What’s In It For Lutfur? Remember that?
No, nor us. Didn’t understand it either.
One thing we did understand was that at the Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee (SDC) to further examine the £1.19 billion Asda – Crossharbour development one Asia Begom Jorna was on the developer’s planning team.
Seems that what Atia Begum Jorna, while described as a local resident, neglected to mention that she did not live on the Isle of Dogs and that she was the Campaign Manager for ex-Mayor Lutfur Rahman.
The Enquirer has tried to get more detail on this issue from Ms Jorna and the developers but with no success.
So maybe someone could ask the question of Ms Jorna at a hustings and let us know her answer?
After all it is not everyday that Lutfur’s campaign manager somehow gets on the applicant’s team for a project worth over a billion quid, is it?
Mole is sure there is some very good reason.
If Ms Jorna had been representing residents then that would have been completely understandable and fit with her candidacy in Limehouse.
Last but not least, Nazir Ahmed
Most people with a working knowledge of Tower Hamlets politics would agree that we have more than enough politicians and councillors who have an, er, unusual back story and we certainly do not need any more, right?
Step forward Nazir Ahmed who has been selected by Aspire to content St. Dunstans ward.
Also step forward this news article about one Nazir Ahmed, a Labour councillor in Newham, who has been suspended by the local Labour Party while there is an investigation following the sharing of social media posts by him from him in 2017 which included one which suggested that Israel should be relocated to the USA.
They are of course one and the same person.
Cllr Ahmed was honoured with the Freedom of the City of London for his distinguished legal and community services in February.
And what on earth is the deal with that blue suit? Is he wearing it because he lost a bet or something?
That’s as much electoral nonsense as we can stand at the moment and we have no doubt you feel the same.
Joke is that despite all the candidate this and selection that, after the election either Labour or Aspire (aka Aspire-Labour) will be in charge and either John Biggs or Lutfur Rahman will be Mayor.
Which is a fate so grim it is not worth thinking about.
Tower Hamlets really needs a political upset of epic proportions to save us from this lot.
