Ghani harps on Mahajot

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 9. — The Malda Congress is a divided house on the grand alliance of the opposition parties proposed by Trinamul chief Miss Mamta Banerjee to defeat the left combination ruling the state for more than two decades. Pradesh Congress Committee has decided not to go with the Trinamul and the BJP in the coming Assembly election. But the veteran Congress leader and the Malda MP Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury is advocating for the grand alliance. “Come what may, we shall fight the Left Front united in this district,” Mr Ghani Khan Choudhury reiterated. The Congress decided on Saturday in Kolkata that it would not align or go for a seat-sharing with Trinamul or BJP in the coming Assembly election. Mrs Rubi Noor an MLA from Sujapur and sister of Mr Ghani Khan was present in the yesterday’s PCC meeting and was against any alliance in which the BJP is present. “We have to maintain a secular image. Our acceptability among the minorities is a critical factor in Bengal election. We have enough strength to take on the CPI-M alone in this district and there is no need for any alliance here. Perhaps dada (Mr Ghnai Khan) spoke about an alliance for other districts and not for Malda. I must speak to him about this,” Mrs Noor informed.While the district Trinamul welcomed Mr Ghani Khan’s call for unity of opposition parties. Congress sources said: “We would not offer the English Bazaar seat to the Trinamul district president, Mr KN Chowdhury who had fought the 2001 Assembly election. Mr KN Chowdhury had contested for the English Bazaar Assembly seat and it was won by the CPI-M candidate. But today, another Congress MLA and former district president, Mrs Sabitri Mitra told reporters: “Barkat-da’s (Mr Ghnai Khan) call for an alliance is judicious.There are many constituency where the Congress is weak and a seat adjustment is possible like in Gazole and Habibpur Assembly constituencies,” he said.The Congress had bagged 5 out of 11 Assembly seats in the district in the last election.