List sparks dissent in Congress ranks

KOLKATA: Defiance is nothing new in Congress, but this time it has reached a new high. The list could not satisfy most of the state Congress leaders from either camps pro-alliance or anti-alliance. While former PCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya, Abdul Mannan and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray from the pro-alliance camp have been left out, hardliners such as Shankar Singh is among the prominent leaders who have been dropped.
Pradip Bhattacharya said, "I have served the party as a loyal soldier for the past 45 years the last 25 as a senior PCC office bearer. I have seen through the darkest years, often alone. The present PCC office bearers could have showed the minimum courtesy of discussing the possible list of candidates with me... They should have even asked me once whether or not I intended to fight the elections. I would have said no, but that is beside the point. It is indeed painful. However, in the interest of the alliance wherever the candidates want, I will campaign for them."
Feeling let down, another prominent leader Shankar Singh has decided to field Independent candidates in all the 17 seats in Nadia when the Trinamool Congress has left only the Shantipur seat for the Congress. Party strongman Adhir Chowdhury is going the whole hog against the Trinamool in Murshidabad with his Independent brigade. However, Adhir is also feeling the heat in some pockets from his own party. Some Congressmen on Friday ransacked the Dhulian town Congress office in protest against the fielding of Adhir loyalist Mousumi Begum from Samserganj. Khadem Dastagir, Bharatpur II block Congress president plans to burn Adhir's effigy on Saturday.
In Sagardighi, Adhir projected Aminul Islam as a dummy candidate against Trinamool's Subrata Saha. Local Congress leaders want Samsul Hoda. In Bhagawangola, too, Congress leaders are not happy with Adhir's candidate.
Abdul Mannan said, "It was apparent that I would not be getting the Chapdani seat. I had made my intentions known then that I will not contest anywhere else. Adhir had offered me a seat, but I am not willing to leave a place which I had served for two-decades. The high command has decided and I will abide by it. I hope the dissent will also be mitigated by the leadership"
Shankar Singh termed this an attempt to weaken Congress. "I had no expectation. There are not enough seats. This is neither good for the Congress nor for the alliance," he said.
After the candidates' list was published on Friday, Adhir Chowdhury said, "I will not tolerate this. I will campaign for Independent candidates against Trinamool in Murshidabad." He added, "I am not a back-biter I have stated everything to Soniaji."
In Malda, the feud within Congress came into fore. More interestingly, the difference within the Khan Choudhury family has become explicit. And in this battle, MP Mousam Noor has defeated her uncle, MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury (Dalu), over the nomination of candidates. While Dalu was not available for comment, his MLA brother Abu Naser Khan (Lebu) did not hide his disgust. In the new seat Mothabari, Dalu wanted to field his niece Sahanaj Kadri. Accordingly he proposed her name to AICC and Kadri began her campaign long ago. But Mousam, recently elected state Youth Congress president, doesn't have good terms with Kadri. A family feud with Kadri had even gone to court.
Mousam had pitched for Sabina Yeasmin, sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, who was recently elected district YC president. On Friday, when finally the name of Yeasmin was declared as candidate from Mothabari, Mousam camp was jubilant. Lebu could not hide her displeasure, "Some members of our family did not want Kadri to fight the polls. Even Dalu's appeal to Pranabbabu went in vain."
Yeasmin said, "I'm grateful to Mousam who was behind my candidature."
In Midnapore, Saurabh Banerjee, Congress's student wing leader, and Anil Sikaria, former Midnapore YC president, said they've written an open letter to Manas Bhunia against fielding Rajani Doloi from Keshpur. They alleged, "Rajani Doloi had abused the party and its leaders and left. And he is being reinstated. After Rahul Gandhi's drive, we had inducted 6,000 new members all underprivileged. It is difficult to believe that not a single among them was found fit enough to get nomination for Keshpur, reserved for SC candidates. We will not campaign for Rajani Doloi."