With the appointment of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as chairman of the West Bengal Pradesh Congressional Committee ahead of the crucial 2021 elections, the congressional high command has shown interest in further strengthening ties with the left and escalating the offensive against the ruling Trinamool Congress says. experts.
Chowdhury’s appointment as the new president was announced by the party’s general secretary, KC Venugopal, on Wednesday. Somen Mitra, who was the party chairman in West Bengal prior to this, had died on July 30.
“The President of Congress has appointed Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as Chairman of the Congressional Committee of West Bengal Pradesh with immediate effect,” said a statement issued by the party.
A week ago, Abdul Mannan, a senior congressional leader and opposition leader in the West Bengal assembly, had written to Sonia Gandhi with a request to appoint Chowdhury as president of the state.
“During the 2016 assembly elections in the state, Mannan and Chowdhury had played an important role in forging electoral understanding with the Left Front. His appointment would help strengthen ties even further, ”said a senior congressional leader.
Chowdhury is also known to be one of the staunchest critics of Mamata Banerjee, the head of the Trinamool Congress and West Bengal’s chief minister. Even as the Speaker of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, attacked the Narendra Modi-led government in coordination with Banerjee, Chowdhury was busy upping the ante against the supreme TMC at the state level.
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“The message is clear. Congress would not like to walk with the TMC when it comes to state policy because they know full well that the TMC would not leave them an inch. However, they would need the TMC when it comes to opposing the BJP at the center. Thus, Chowdhury was the best bet, as it would not only solidify the party’s position in Murshidabad, a stronghold of Congress, but also help strengthen the party’s ties with the left while simultaneously opposing the TMC with nails. and teeth ”. said sefologist Biswanath Chakraborty, professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University.
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However, the ruling TMC, which had previously labeled Chowdhry as an agent of the BJP and RSS, said that Chowdhury’s appointment as president of Congress will not affect the TMC in any way as the Cong and the left face a ‘ existential crisis’ in the state.
“Congress knows very well that Chowdhury is an agent of the BJP and RSS and his main enemy is Mamata Banerjee and not the BJP. That is why they have named it thus revealing a dual character. They don’t want to fight the BJP. They want to oppose TMC. It won’t affect us anyway, no matter who comes along. The congressional party must first stay afloat in Bengal, “said Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP.
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