Tweet
TC in two minds over backing Pranab’s son
With the Congress’ equation with Mamata Banerjee hitting an all-time low, a section of the Trinamool Congress is lobbying hard with the Bengal Chief Minister to field “our own candidate” from Jangipur Lok Sabha seat.
While the Trinamool Congress has not taken any decision regarding Jangipur, which got vacant after local MP Pranab Mukherjee was elected the President of India, the Congress leadership seems all set to field his son Abhijeet Mukherjee from the seat.
In fact Abhijeet, a retired SAIL official and a sitting MLA in the State Assembly from Nalhati constituency, had reportedly expressed his desire to contest from the seat by writing to Murshidabad district Congress president and party MP Adhir Chowdhury.
Jangipur is one of the three Murshidabad parliamentary seats held by the Congress.
According to sources, Trinamool Congress district president Mohammad Ali has requested the party leadership to field “our own nominee” particularly at a time when the two parties had decided to contest the crucial panchayat elections in the State. The rural polls are scheduled to be held anytime in the first half of the next year.
Another reason why a dominant section of the Trinamool Congress is pressing the party leadership to wrest the Jangipur seat from the Congress is the deteriorating equation between the two parties, particularly against the backdrop of frequent exchange of salvos between Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and Adhir Chowdhury, who feels that the CM was trying to erase the Congress from Murshidabad.
While Banerjee has not yet taken a decision on Jangipur, some senior party leaders feel she was unlikely to field a candidate as “we are still in the UPA and the Jangipur seat falls within the electoral adjustment that we arrived at in 2009.”
According to party insiders, the Trinamool Congress could try to “backstab” the Congress, by fielding dummy candidates, even if it officially decides against putting up its own nominee.
Banerjee had seldom enjoyed a good rapport with Senior Mukherjee when he was the UPA number two in Delhi and often blamed him for stalling flow of funds and projects to Bengal. This is one reason why Banerjee had recently visited Murshidabad which has about 70 per cent Muslim population and announced a host of projects for the minorities sources said. Abhijeet Mukherjee had personally requested the high command for a candidature.
Meanwhile, Bengal Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya on Sunday said the State party was in full support of Mukherjee being fielded as a candidate. He added he would discuss the matter to the high command for its approval.
With the Congress’ equation with Mamata Banerjee hitting an all-time low, a section of the Trinamool Congress is lobbying hard with the Bengal Chief Minister to field “our own candidate” from Jangipur Lok Sabha seat.
While the Trinamool Congress has not taken any decision regarding Jangipur, which got vacant after local MP Pranab Mukherjee was elected the President of India, the Congress leadership seems all set to field his son Abhijeet Mukherjee from the seat.
In fact Abhijeet, a retired SAIL official and a sitting MLA in the State Assembly from Nalhati constituency, had reportedly expressed his desire to contest from the seat by writing to Murshidabad district Congress president and party MP Adhir Chowdhury.
Jangipur is one of the three Murshidabad parliamentary seats held by the Congress.
According to sources, Trinamool Congress district president Mohammad Ali has requested the party leadership to field “our own nominee” particularly at a time when the two parties had decided to contest the crucial panchayat elections in the State. The rural polls are scheduled to be held anytime in the first half of the next year.
Another reason why a dominant section of the Trinamool Congress is pressing the party leadership to wrest the Jangipur seat from the Congress is the deteriorating equation between the two parties, particularly against the backdrop of frequent exchange of salvos between Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and Adhir Chowdhury, who feels that the CM was trying to erase the Congress from Murshidabad.
While Banerjee has not yet taken a decision on Jangipur, some senior party leaders feel she was unlikely to field a candidate as “we are still in the UPA and the Jangipur seat falls within the electoral adjustment that we arrived at in 2009.”
According to party insiders, the Trinamool Congress could try to “backstab” the Congress, by fielding dummy candidates, even if it officially decides against putting up its own nominee.
Banerjee had seldom enjoyed a good rapport with Senior Mukherjee when he was the UPA number two in Delhi and often blamed him for stalling flow of funds and projects to Bengal. This is one reason why Banerjee had recently visited Murshidabad which has about 70 per cent Muslim population and announced a host of projects for the minorities sources said. Abhijeet Mukherjee had personally requested the high command for a candidature.
Meanwhile, Bengal Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya on Sunday said the State party was in full support of Mukherjee being fielded as a candidate. He added he would discuss the matter to the high command for its approval.
