Ex-Malda Cong MLA likely to switch party

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 18: The former Congress MLA and former sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, may join Trinamul Congress soon. The district Trinamul Congress president, Mr Dulal Sarkar, confirmed this.

Mr Sarkar also said: “Primary discussions with the Trinamul supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee have been held. Mr Goutam Chakraborty would be projected as Trinamul Congress candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.”

“Goutam da would be going to Kolkata in three to four days when Mamata di would make the formal announcement of this development,” Mr Sarkar said. Former sabhadhipati's decision to join Trinamul Congress in Malda, to contest Lok Sabha election from North Malda, has raised several questions within the Congress.

Following a recent media report, contenders for North Malda seat have criticised the district congress president, Mr AH Khan Choudhury's decision to offer the North Malda seat to Trinamul Congress to make an alliance.

Trinamul sources said Miss Mamata Banerjee has demanded North Malda, Balurghat and Cooch Behar parliamentary seats for her party in the coming Lok Sabha election.

It may be noted that the former Congress MLA from English Bazaar, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, not only denied ticket for the last rural polls as zilla parishad candidate but he was also cornered in the party after the death of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. Neither the current Malda district Congress president and Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury (alias Dalu) nor the former district president Rubi Noor, sister of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, valued him as a senior leader of the Malda congress after the end of Malda Zilla Parishad's term.

Though Mr Chakraborty did not disclose his own plan to join Trinamul Congress, he could not rule out possibilities to join Trinamul Congress for contesting for the new parliamentary seat in North Malda. Commenting on Malda Congress's earlier decision to propose the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to contest from North Malda, Mr Goutam Chakraborty said: “Dr Singh would never contest from here. The family members of ABA Ghani Khan now are politicising the whole issue for the benefit of their family.”

“South Malda seat is safer than North Malda for Dr Manmohan Singh, why the current Malda MP is not offering his own seat to the Prime Minister,” he asked.

On the other hand, a group of Congress leaders including block presidents have been projecting Mr AN Khan Choudhury (alias Lebu), another brother of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, as a contesting candidate from North Malda seat despite objections of another groups belonging to Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

Among the contenders for North Malda seat, Mr Suresh Behani, district committee member and close aide to Mr and Mrs Das Munshi and Congress MLA from English Bazaar Mr Krishnendu Choudhury are against AN Khan Choudhury (Lebu) as a candidate from North Malda.