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Trinamul luring our corporators, alleges Congress

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

Coming down heavily on the Trinamul Congress, the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee has alleged that the former was luring Congress corporators to garner a majority in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. The grapevine has it that the Trinamul is offering a car worth Rs 1 million to every Congress corporator.

Addressing a news conference at the party's Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road office, PCC president ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury and working president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi expressed shock and surprise over the Trinamul's alleged attempts to split the Congress in the CMC. "We denounce such efforts as unethical and emphasise that the Congress corporators will remain united and abide by the decision taken by the party," Khan Chowdhury said.

The veteran leader added that the PCC was firm in its stand not to align with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front under any circumstances.

Chowdhury blamed the Trinamul for the impasse. "Let them contact us officially. Only then will the PCC decide on the matter. Our corporators will meet after the date for mayoral election is announced," Dasmunshi said.

Both the Left Front and the Trinamul have stepped up efforts to secure a majority in the corporation. The LF's determination to field its candidate for the mayoral post has compounded the problem. It is hoping to capitalise on the resentment in the Trinamul over Subrata Mukherjee's candidature for the mayor's post.

Since the voting is through secret ballot, the LF expects cross voting in favour of its candidate. Former PCC chief Somen Mitra's penchant dislike for Mukherjee is likely to mar his prospects. Only months ago, Mitra had successfully engineered cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections to ensure the defeat of the Congress' official candidate.

Interestingly, Khan Chowdhury revealed that state Home Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had called up the PCC office on Thursday night assuring the LF's support if the Congress wished to form the board. However, several Congress MLAs have categorically stated that any move to align with the Left will prove suicidal for the party.

Analysts feel that the Congress leadership may eventually ask its corporators to abstain from voting.

Meanwhile, the state election commission has ordered a repoll in one booth of Salt Lake municipality where an Electronic Voting Machine developed a snag on the day of counting. The Left candidate was leading by 93 votes when counting was terminated.

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