Cong walks Pranab talk,rebel shown door

“We have evidences that he is directly campaigning for an independent candidate. We have removed him for anti-party activity,” said Baptu Chakraborty,secretary,Youth Congress. Chakraborty was in the Malda on Saturday and Sunday before the final decision was taken to remove the Assembly president. Chakraborty said action would be taken against anyone who works against the interest of party.

On the other hand,Rehman claims that there is nothing wrong in campiagning for anyone in the Ghani Khan family. “I was elected Youth Congress president of Mothabari with the support of more than six thousand members. I cannot be removed like this,” he told The Indian Express over phone from Malda. He said the Congress is synonymous with Ghani Khan Family and there is no dispute in supporting a member of the family.

Despite Quadery and even few members of the Ghani Khan family trying their best to get a ticket,it went to a Youth Congress candidate. Even as Mukherjee had tried to give a stren message to party leaders,eventually he passed the buck to West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Manas Bhuniya. “There is a provision in the constitution of the party to expel people for anti-party activities and the responsibility rests with the state Congress president,” said Mukherjee.

However,Congress leaders admit that though it may be easy to discipline party leaders by passing such statements,for Bhuniya it will be tough to act against heavyweight Congress leaders like Adhir Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunsi,who are supporting independent candidates.

Meanwhile,two MLAs defy Pranab expulsion warning
Gross injustice done to me,says six-time MLA

Defying Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee’s warning of expulsion,two party MLAs,who have decided to contest the Assembly election as Independents after being denied tickets,has said that under no circumstances they would withdraw from the fray. Challenging the Congress threat of a six-year expulsion for contesting against official party candidates or any nominee of the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance,six-time Congress legislator Ram Piyare Ram said,“I won’t mind if any action is taken against me for contesting as an Independent.” “Since 1962,I am in the Congress and nobody can drive me out of the party. My voters in Kavitirtha constituency want me to contest and I will contest to win the election,” said Ram. He termed the party’s decision not to nominate him as “gross injustice”. “Voters in my constituency are very much sympathetic towards me and my party Congress. But this time the situation has changed and I have been denied ticket due to mysterious circumstances,” he added.

‘Pranab got ticket for his son but not for sincere workers’
Congress MLA Abdul Khaleq Mollah,who said he would file nomination from Metiabruz constituency,has dared the party leadership to take any action against him. “I have read in newspapers that Pranab Mukherjee has threatened to expel for six years anyone who will contest against official candidates. Pranabbabu himself had left Congress once,but I never,” Mollah said. He went to say: “Pranab Mukherjee has even ensured nomination for his son,but sincere Congress workers like me have been left out despite serving the party for over 50 years. This is the irony.” Stating he would file nomination papers within two to three days in the Metiabruz constituency as an Independent candidate,Mollah claimed that he had been receiving ‘wide support’ from the Congress,NCP and smaller parties in the constituency. Mollah dared the high command to take action against him for fighting the official candidate. and said,“Voters in my area have been insisting that I should contest and I am sure I will win the seat.”

‘Left Front responsible for delay in Teesta project’
Jalpaiguri: Pranab Mukherjee criticised the Left Front government for the inordinate delay in the implementation of the vital Teesta irrigation project for which the Centre had sanctioned Rs 701 crore. Inspite of the Centre according it a national status and agreeing to share 90 per cent of the total cost,the project had been hanging fire for an unusually long time,Mukherjee told a gathering of Congress workers at Lataguri near Jalpaiguri on Monday. ‘’Not only the Teesta project,money sanctioned for other projects like 100 days work programme and Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme has been returned,’’ the Union Finance Minister said. Describing the state-of-affairs prevailing in West Bengal as ‘depressing’,Mukherjee said the state had performed very poorly in education,health and employment during the 34 years of Left Front rule. Out of the eight crore population in the state,70 lakh are registered as unemployed,which indicted the “utterly dismal” employment situation,he said.