By Sirshendu Panth,IANS,
Murshidabad (West Bengal) : Rebel candidates backed by a senior Congressman in this West Bengal border district have become a major worry for the Trinamaool Congress, causing a strain in the alliance between the two parties.
The four Congressmen in the fray as independents have the support of district party chief and Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, as they take on alliance candidates of the Trinamool in the second phase of the assembly polls Saturday.
Of the 22 seats in Murshidabad district, the Congress is contesting 18, leaving four seats to the Trinamool.
Murshidabad, one of the last Congress bastions in south Bengal, saw the party win all the three Lok Sabha seats in 2009.
One of the winners was union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who retained his Jangipur constituency. The party candidates also led in all the assembly segments in the district.
“I would have had no problem if the Trinamool had fielded candidates from two seats. I was mentally prepared for that. And I had also mentally prepared my partymen for that. But giving four was too much when Trinamool has no presence in the district,” said Chowdhury, known for his popularity as also musclepower.
The parliament member, who has several police cases against him, has a Robin Hood image with a history of backing rebel candidates to victory in previous elections by defying party whip.
All the four rebels have been expelled by the Congress, but Chowdhury said he would ensure their return to the party once they win Saturday’s polls.
In the 2006 assembly polls, two independents supported by Chowdhury won the race, and both are official Congress candidates in the coming election.
The same thing happened in 2001, when also the Congress had allied with the Trinamool. Chowdhury had then also fielded and canvassed for two Independents – Abu Taher Khan and Sheikh Niyamat and both won.
Chowdhury said: “This time I had to do it in the interest of the party. I am very much in favour of the alliance and I also want (Trinamool chief) Mamata Banerjee to become the chief minister. But at the same time I have to protect my party’s interest and honour the sentiments of the party workers.”
Chowdhury alleged that after claiming four seats, the Trinamool would have tried to grab one of the three Lok Sabha seats in the district in 2014.
On the other hand, Trinamool chief Banerjee, without naming Chowdhury, accused him of being hand in glove with the Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M).
“There are agents of the CPI-M in some parties. They always try to scuttle the opposition’s chances. But the people this time are very determined to vote out the Left Front.
“They will teach a lesson to these independents as also those sponsoring them,” she said while addressing election meetings in Murshidabad, one of the most backward districts in the state.
Around 60 percent of the electorate in the district are Muslims.
“It is the duty of the Congress to discipline these people (rebels). Good they have expelled them. But those backing them should also be disciplined,” said Banerjee, who has also complained to the Congress high command on the matter.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, while campaigning in the district this week, in the presence of Chowdhury, urged the people to vote for alliance candidates.
While Gandhi’s comments are being seen as a warning to leaders like Chowdhury, it had little effect.
In fact, from Sonia’s campaign rally, he rushed to canvass for one of the independents.
Asked about Chowdhury and some other leaders who are behind the rebels, Congress general secretary in-charge of the state Shakeel Ahmed said: “They are not contesting. There is a charge that they are supporting and campaigning in favour of the independents. It has not yet been proved. We have our observers in every district let the report come then we will see.”
Ahmed also ruled out taking back the rebels in the party even if they win.
The development could not come at a better time for the Left Front, which is facing the stiffest challenge to its 34-year rule.
(Sirshendu Panth can be contacted at [email protected])