Sonia's Friday fad doesn't work

Statesman News Service

RAIGANJ/MALDA, April 25: Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi will visit North Dinajpur on Friday to address an election rally at the Parbati Sundari High School ground at Kaliyaganj. Informing this here today, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, the Union I&B and parliamentary affairs minister, said: “Prior to reaching Kaliyaganj at 2 pm, Mrs Gandhi will address two more rallies ~ one at Jangipur and the other at Kaliachak in Malda.” All Congress leaders have been instructed to announce Mrs Gandhi’s visit to grassroots level workers of the party, Mr Das Munshi said. On the other hand, chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, will address an election rally at Kaliyaganj on 3 May in favour of Mr Nanigopal Roy and Mr Narmada Roy, CPI-M contestants from Kaliyaganj in North Dinajpur and Kushmondi in South Dinajpur, respectively, Mr Bharatendu Choudhury, CPI-M zonal secretary, said. Malda Congress leaders are in a fix over Mrs Gandhi’s proposed visit to the district for campaigning. Some Congress leaders are also thinking of deferring the schedule of Mrs Gandhi’s visit to draw a large crowd. Congress leaders think that the time of her arrival, between 12.45 and 1 pm on Friday, is not suitable as most of the voters will perform namaz at that time and will not be able to attend her rally. Today, a group of senior Congress leaders held a meeting on the subject and tried to convey this message to Mrs Gandhi, via senior party leaders in New Delhi. The day being Friday, the weekly prayers for Muslims on Jumma may prove a “great loss” in the minority-dominated Kaliachak area, they said. The Malda SP said Mrs Gandhi will arrive around 1 p.m. on Friday and address a rally at South Malda College ground in Kaliachak.“Not only will it be difficult to garner crowds, the use of microphones at the time of namaz will also infuriate the Muslim population there,” Mr Masidur Rahaman, a senior Congress leader of the district, said. “They may revolt against us,” the Congress leaders said. To justify their point, the Malda Congress leaders also recalled what happened at Goalpokhar in the last Assembly election.Mrs Gandhi campaigned for Mrs Dipa Das Munshi, wife of Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, on a Friday during the last Assembly elections and very few people attended that rally. Mrs Das Munshi lost the election.“If Mrs Gandhi’s schedule is not changed, it will be better if she cancels her proposed trip,” the Congress leaders said after a meeting with the Malda Congress president, Mrs Rubi Noor, today. #