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Chasm between Khan Chowdhury, Sonia grows

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

With rebellious Congressmen ostensibly preparing to launch a new outfit, the chasm between West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and party president Sonia Gandhi widened today.

"Barkatda [Ghani Khan Chowdhury] and Somenda [Mitra] have finalised preparations to launch the Bangla Pradeshik Congress if Madame does not permit a mahajot [grand alliance] with the Trinamul Congress and the BJP," asserted Tarun Chandra Ganguly, an activist from Malda and Khan Chowdhury supporter.

Ganguly claimed that as state party chief, Khan Chowdhury had already explained to Gandhi what had transpired during the Rajya Sabha election in the state with Congress legislators voting for the Trinamul candidate at the expense of their own nominee, Debi Prasad Roy.

"Barkatda feels there is nothing left to discuss with the party chief since he has already explained whatever was to be explained. Now it is just a question of whether Soniaji accords permission to the WBPCC to have the mahajot. Her decision will determine our strategy," Ganguly said.

Khan Chowdhury, who is not exactly in the pink of health, is scheduled to reach Delhi tomorrow.

Significantly, Prabha Rau, Congress general secretary in charge of West Bengal, who accompanied party spokespersons Anil Shastri and Margaret Alva today at the briefing, reacted angrily when asked whether Khan Chowdhury had been summoned to Delhi.

"He [Khan Chowdhury] is a respected senior leader and a Lok Sabha member. Therefore, there is no question of 'summoning' him," she said.

She announced that the party leadership had appointed R K Dhawan, Vayalar Ravi and Kamal Nath as observers for West Bengal to ascertain what had led to the Rajya Sabha cross-voting. They will speak to all party members concerned, she said.

But Rau was unwilling to describe the party observers' mission as a "probe", indicating that the central leadership wants to handle the matter with kid gloves.

That a significant chunk of the West Bengal Congress is supporting the Khan Chowdhury-Mitra move for a "grand alliance" against the CPI-M-led Left Front is apparent with former chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray supporting them.

Ray yesterday circulated a "working paper" and also sent it to the central leadership, arguing that the BJP in West Bengal is not communal because of the state's long tradition of secularism.

Ray joining hands with the rebels has tilted the balance in their favour. He told rediff.com that "the Left Front in West Bengal simply has to be thrown out because the people are tired and disgusted with it. [Trinamul president] Mamta [Banerjee] is a force to reckon with in the state and I feel the Congress must avail of every and all opportunities to fix the Left Front government good and proper so that it is not only thrown out, but packed into oblivion for good."

Ray contended that the very fact that Banerjee's party had grown so well in and around Calcutta showed that Calcuttans had taken a liking to her.

For Sonia Gandhi loyalist and working president of the West Bengal party unit, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, the Chowdhury-Mitra-Ray troika could spell doom. Congress sources pointed out that the constitution of the three-member observer team for West Bengal had been done in consultation with Dasmunshi who is in a dilemma how to get rid of his political rivals within the state unit and yet ensure that it remains intact.

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