Rebuked Ghani toes a soft line

Statesman News Service

MALDA. Jan. 18. — Barely two days after Mr ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury pledged to work for the formation of a mahajot in the state for the next Assembly election, Congressmen in Malda today admitted that the “situation was not ripe at the moment to think about a mahajot involving the BJP.”

Mr Ghani Khan, who had earlier said that he would raise the mahajot issue at the Hyderabad session of the Congress Working Committee, also kept his decision on joining the session in suspense.

He was expected to board a flight for Hyderabad on 21 January. Congress sources said the PCC chief, Mr Pranab Mukherjee’s fax message to Mr Ghani Khan had prompted the latter to toe a softer line.

Mr Ghani Khan, who had accused Mr Mukherjee of misleading Mrs Sonia Gandhi on the issue of mahajot, has drawn flak from the party high command.Malda Congress leaders, including Mr Ghani Khan, have chosen to keep mum on the issue for now. #

PCC on ghost voters

The PCC leadership in Kolkata has urged the EC not to hold an Assembly poll in the state till the voters’ rolls are cleansed of bogus voters. The PCC brass also ruled out an alliance with Trinamul Congress as long as it remained an ally of the BJP.