Sonia tells Bengal Congress leaders to wait and watch

Arindam Sarkar

AICC president Sonia Gandhi told the senior State Congress leaders, who called on the party boss at her residence in New Delhi, that the time was not ripe to discuss about electoral alliance and the party’s poll strategy in Bengal. It will be finalized later.

On Friday evening, August 21, 2015, Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya, Lok Sabha MP AH Khan Chowdhury, former PCC chief Somen Mitra, Deepa Dasmunshi and Abdul Mannan met Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about the political situation in Bengal.

Apparently, the recent meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Central Hall of the Parliament has confused the State Congress leaders. Totally against an electoral alliance with the Trinamool Congress, the State Congress satraps wanted to know whether Sonia Gandhi was considering a pre-electoral alliance with Mamata for the ensuing 2016 Assembly polls – as it happened in 2011 Assembly elections.

“In the Congress, election strategy is decided by the AICC. If there is a political adjustment or an aggression, it is the AICC that will decide on it. Sonia Gandhi said, when the AICC takes the decision, the PCC leaders would be consulted,” said Pradip Bhattacharya.

To convince Sonia Gandhi that the PCC was against an electoral alliance with the Trinamool, as the latter was out to decimate the former, Congress leaders said the Trinamool was attacking their party rank and file in Bengal.

Sonia Gandhi hinted that soon an AICC observer would be sent to Bengal. He would visit the various districts to read the ground situation and meet the PCC leaders before briefing the AICC on the strategy to be adopted for the ensuing elections in the State. “Six months back AICC general secretary Madhusudhan Mistry came to consult the PCC leaders,” said Pradip Bhattacharya.

In the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, the Bengal leaders also said that the high command should give direction to the State unit to develop the party organization to fight the elections. In other words, without criticizing the PCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, the leaders impressed upon Sonia Gandhi that the party was not moving in the right direction.

“We discussed organizational matters. We expect AICC observers to visit Bengal soon. Sonia Gandhi gave us a patient hearing. As far as electoral alliance with the Trinamool, we have expressed our reservation long back,” said Abdul Mannan.

On being told that senior State Congress leaders had raised questions about his leadership in Bengal, a confident State Congress president said there would be no organizational polls and he would complete his tenure.

“AICC has given me complete independence. They have never intervened in my job. They have not restrained me. I have got the mandate to prepare the party for the Assembly polls,” claimed Adhir Chowdhury.

However, Adhir said the senior State Congress leaders have the right to meet the AICC president. “I don’t know why they met Sonia Gandhi. But I know that when the AICC decides on the poll strategy for Bengal, they would call me and ask me to execute it – be it regarding alliance or organization strategy,” said Adhir.