Move to plug family fissures

MALDA, April 1: Congress leaders have been asked not to release any press statements creating differences of opinion within the Malda Congress Party or within the family members of the late Ghani Khan Choudhury and his brother and Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury.

Mr Hassan Ali Shah, general secretary of the Malda district Congress said today: "Press statements from various quarters have developed family feuds and caused the deterioration of relations among the family members, including the two contesting candidates Mr AH Khan Choudhury for South Malda and his niece Miss Mausam Noor for North Malda.” He made the comments after attending a marathon meeting convened by the district Congress president Mr AH Khan Choudhury.

This is the first time that Miss Mausam Noor and Mr AH Khan Choudhury have both been present in the same meeting. Congress leaders, particularly those from seven assembly constituencies under the North Malda parliamentary seat, were summoned to the party office today to chalk out a poll campaigning plan for Miss Noor.

It was reported that Mr Khan Choudhury was not willing to extend cooperation to his niece because she had secured ticket from the AICC and released a press statement while her maternal uncles were still in the dark about the finalisation of allotment of the party symbol.

Miss Noor has started poll campaigning since Friday with her followers including the block Congress leaders, ignoring her maternal uncle's decision. At today's meeting it was decided that everybody including Dr AN Khan Choudhury would have to abide by the decision of the high command for the nomination of candidates. According to Mr Hassan Ali Shah, Dr AN Khan Choudhury will tentatively be coming here on Friday. Hopefully he will not go against his niece, he added. n SNS