Chairman selection divides Cong

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 3 JUNE: Although the Congress with 10 seats and Trinamul with four seats are expected to ally to form board in the 25-member English Bazaar Municipality, the elected councillors are apparently divided on the issue of chairman selection.

In addition to the four Trinamul councillors, the Congress councillors too seem reluctant to accept Mr Krishnendu Choudhury as the EBM chairman.

At least three Congress councilors and the four Trinamul councilors – Mr Dulal Sarkar , his wife Mrs Chaitali Ghosh, Ms Sumala Agarwal and Mr Barun Sardar have already expressed strong reservation against Mr Krishnendy Choudhury’s candidature to the chairman post.

Mr Sarkar, who had campaigned against Mr Choudhury , before the civic polls had a verbal exchange with Mr Choudhury  at the counting venue. Ms Sumala Agarwal had also challenged Mr Choudhury and ‘invited’ him at the counting venue to see how she defeated the Congress candidate fielded against her.

Ms Agarwal alleged: “Mr Choudhury not only fielded an outgoing Trinamul councillor on a Congress ticket against me but had also used unwanted language against me during campaigning”.

“The district Congress president, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, who is in Delhi would take the final decision on the matter. The MP has told the media that I would be the chairman. I was the chairman of the EBM earlier and have lot of experience”, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury claimed in defence.

He further said: “Trinamul councillors may express no-confidence against me but Ms Mamata Banerjee should formulate a policy not only for English Bazaar but across the state where the Trinamul would have to depend on the Congress to keep the Left out of the board”.

According to the Trinamul district president, Mr Gautam Chakraborty, specific instruction to adjust with the Congress councillors has not reached them yet.