Congress leaders mount pressure on chief Adhir: ‘Not doing enough’

“We would need over 2,000 candidates in the next election but the party doesn’t seem to be working hard enough. Adhir has only appointed a coordinator for each district who is unable to handle the volume of work,” said a senior party leader. The leader also blamed veteran Abdul Mannan of having developed a “lacklustre attitude” towards the coming elections. Surprisingly, Mannan himself admitted it but squared up by saying his is similar to the party’s attitude. “Yes, I have become a little laid-back but that is because of the party’s attitude here as a whole. I have not attended some recent meetings of the party as well. This, however, should not mean I am going to leave the party. I have come here inspired by the Gandhi family,” he said.

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Sibaji Sinha Roy president, North Kolkata district congress committee, had also written to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi (a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express). In the two-page letter, which was similarly forwarded to party’s state general secretary C P Joshi, Roy had alleged that leaders who spoke against Adhir at party meetings were “physically assaulted”. Roy also expressed apprehension of “intimidation, assault or attempt of murder (on him)” for writing the letter.

On his part, Adhir has maintained that he cannot stop anyone from leaving the party. “At the moment my job is to make possible Congress’s turnaround in the state and I am doing whatever is within my reach. People who want to leave may leave,” he said, and added that the party would come out with the list of candidates on time.

Amitava Chakraborty, party general secretary, said, “When Somen Mitra left, he too had said he didn’t get anything from the party when he was the WBPCC president for two terms.”

State youth Congress general secretary Suman Pal admitted that he too had heard of some names who would leave the party soon. “Most of these defection would have no impact on party’s affairs in the state. On the contrary, it will give opportunities to new talents from youth Congress and Chhatra Parishad,” Pal said.