Opp suffering faction feud?

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 3 AUG: The Trinamul Congress in Malda is in the middle of a faction feud that broke out since the appointment of Mr Goutam Chakraborty as the party’s new district president. Mr Chakrabarty was a Congress leader in the district earlier.

Several Trinamul workers, mainly women from Amriti in English Bazaar block, came to the party office last evening and confined the district president, Mr Chakraborty. They leveled several charges against him.

They also demanded his removal from the district president’s post for inducting some Congress workers with alleged criminal background.

The Trinamul workers alleged that the new district president was a ‘corrupted official’ when he was the sabhadhipati of the Congress led Malda Zilla Parishad.

Trouble erupted after a Trinamul programme yesterday where the district president claimed that more than 1,200 Congress workers and supporters (some from the CPI-M too) from 11 gram panchayats of the English Bazaar block had joined the Trinamul Congress.

Asked to comment on the dissent against him in the Trinamul rank and file, Mr Chakraborty said: “Some Trinamul workers from Amriti alleged that I have ignored them and preferred others in the party after becoming the district president. It is a misunderstanding and a conspiracy as well by some party members.”

According to him, the party's state leadership has asked him to strengthen the organisation in Malda district and induct dedicated workers from different parties if need be. But the state committee has declined to approve any new committee for now. Instead, they have been asked to watch and evaluate the performance of the newcomers in the party.

Commenting on the situation former Trinamul district president and now Congress MLA from English Bazaar, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, said: “Only 150 Congress supporters who had been expelled from the party have joined the Trinamul Congress. Mr Chakraborty is being guided by the CPI-M to weaken the Congress in Malda. He is not strengthening the Congress-Trinamul unity here.”

“Two persons with criminal records in the police files for several robberies and murders have joined the Trinamul Congress recently,” Mr Choudhury claimed.