TWO political heavyweights are set to clash again in what is being dubbed Burnley's election battle of the new millennium.

Former Daneshouse Liberal Democrat Fazal Subhan has come out of retirement to announce he will stand again at May's municipal polls.

He will therefore renew rivalry with sitting councillor Rafique Malik, who must win the election to become Burnley's first Asian mayor.

Mr Subhan will be trying to unseat Coun Malik, East Lancashire's longest-serving Asian councillor, for the second time.

If he is successful, it will be a repeat of his 1994 victory. On that occasion the election battle spilled into the courts.

Labour stalwart Coun Malik lost by three votes following a massive turnout in the ward.

He immediately issued an election petition, alleging forgery and proxy vote rigging in a bid to overturn the result.

A judge eventually allowed Councillor Malik to withdraw his complaint on the eve of what was expected to be a four-week election court hearing.

The decision to abort the court action was taken in the wake of a prediction that the "horrendous" costs would be in the region of £250,000.

Despite this, Burnley council tax payers still had to pick up a bill for the £10,000 costs to that date.

Coun Malik, now deputy council leader, won back a seat in Daneshouse two years' later.

Outspoken Mr Subhan, who had a long history of heart-related illness, stood down at the end of his term of office in May, 1998, on health grounds. He was in and out of hospital several times earlier this year.

He said he had been persuaded to stand again by the community in Daneshouse and his motive was not anti-Malik, but a desire to serve the people of his area.

"Even after I left the council, the phone has never stopped ringing with calls from people wanting help or advice.

"It is the same pressure as before so I decided I may as well do the work as a council representative, if the people vote me back."

Father-of-six Mr Subhan said his health had improved in recent months.

Today Coun Malik said he hoped to successfully defend in Daneshouse - with victory leaving the way clear for him to become mayor in May.

Burnley's proxy vote headache culminated this year in a record number of people registering as being out of town on election day and nominating a party representative to vote on their behalf.

This resulted in Parliament setting up a police inquiry which is still ongoing.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.