In her clearest comments yet on the fate of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance in Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today told her party leaders from Murshidabad district to prepare to fight all seats, regardless of the fact that State Congress chief and senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is a long-time MP from the district.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee is holding district-wise meetings of her party leaders at her Kalighat home and today was the turn of Murshidabad district which is considered the stronghold of senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
“Didi clearly told us not to worry about either I.N.D.I.A. or Adhir da,” a senior party leader from the district who was in the meeting. “This means that the alliance is dead in Bengal because Adhir da is the biggest Congress leader in the State and there can be no alliance if we are not going to cede the seat to the Congress and are fighting to defeat the Congress’s senior-most candidate,” he added.
Multiple sources who were present in the meeting confirmed to The Daily Guardian that Mamata Banerjee, her nephew, heir apparent and All-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had reprimanded Humayun Kabir, an MLA from Bharatpur constituency which falls in Murshidabad, for suggesting that Adhir Chowdhury was a big factor and the biggest challenge to the chances of a Trinamool Congress sweep in the district. Humayun Kabir is known to be a leader who does not mince his words.
“Adhir Chowdhury is not a challenge. He is not a factor in the district. You people fight unitedly and then you will see how easily we can sweep all the three seats,” Mamata was quoted as having said in the meeting.
She also told her party leaders to prepare for battle and not worry about anything else, sources said.
Abhishek Banerjee told the gathering that there was no reason to think that the Trinamool Congress would not be able to capture all the three Lok Sabha seats. “Out of the 22 MLA seats in Murshidabad district, 20 are with us. We won a huge number of seats in the Panchayat elections as well. So, why should we not win all the three seats – Murshidabad, Berhampore and Jangipur,” he said.
Incidentally, Murshidabad is represented by Abu Taher Khan while Jangipur is represented by Khalilur Rahaman, both of whom are from the Trinamool Congress. Only Adhir Chowdhury has been winning the Berhampore seat.
Mamata Banerjee’s close confidant and party general secretary Subrata Bakshi told the assembled leaders that the party was aware that “some leaders are more engaged in faction fights” and warned that such tendencies would not be allowed to continue. He also warned that the party’s top leadership was keeping watch and would not hesitate to take “harsh steps against such leaders”.
The Trinamool Congress’ strategy may queer the pitch for Rahul Gandhi, who started his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur on Sunday, and is scheduled to cover six Lok Sabha constituencies across five districts in Bengal.
Sources say Congress leaders are in touch with Rahul’s office to extend his stay in Bengal so that he can address a rally in Kolkata.
So far, Rahul’s itinerary in Bengal includes yatras in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri-Siliguri, Malda and Murshidabad.
“He is expected to spend four nights in the State while crossing 525 km in both north and south Bengal. We are trying to include Kolkata in his itinerary and extend the number of days spent in Bengal,” said a Pradesh Congress leader.
While the yatra will touch six Lok Sabha constituencies — Darjeeling, Raigunj, North and South Malda and two in Murshidabad — Pradesh Congress leaders have suggested a few more in south Bengal be included on the list.
“Rahul ji is focused on meeting workers, farmers and members of the intellectual community. He will also speak on certain burning issues,” said a PCC leader.
Congress sources said observer Ghulam Ahmad Mir had a preliminary discussion on Rahul Gandhi’s rally route with the Bengal leaders who told Mir that the yatra needed to be equally vocal against BJP at Centre and the Trinamool Congress in Bengal.
The State unit of Congress had voiced its opinion against an alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the State in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Mir will again come to Kolkata on January 22 and discuss the final schedule. Meanwhile, he will also go through the set of suggestions the State unit has sent him,” said a leader.