Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury unfazed with WBPCC chief’s olive branch to Trinamool, says will continue to protest

The CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal has described the change of guard at the State Congress as the party’s internal affair and said that it will not have any major impact on the electoral alliance

Former West Bengal pradesh Congress committee president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday (September 23, 2024) said that he will continue to hit the streets and protest against the Trinamool Congress even though the newly appointed State Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar has extended an olive branch to the State’s ruling party.

The five time Congress MP, who recently lost 2024 Lok Sabha election, led a procession in Howrah district on Sunday and will have sit in demonstration at Esplanade from Wednesday on the rape and murder of the doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

“The party has issued no such directions that we cannot protest against Trinamool. These events were planned earlier and we cannot go back on the commitment made to the people. Also I continue to be a member of the Congress working committee,” Mr. Chowdhury told The Hindu.

The West Bengal Congress veteran had two stints as State Congress president for almost eight years. He was appointed as the State Congress president in 2014 and continued to hold the post till 2018, when he was replaced by Somendranath Mitra. After Mr. Mitra death in 2020, Mr. Chowdhury was reappointed as the State Congress president and continued on the post till September 21, when he was replaced by Subhankar Sarkar.

During his term as State Congress chief he not only adopted a hard-line approach against Trinamool Congress but also forged an alliance with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front. Mr. Chowdhury said that it was tactical decision to ally with the CPI(M) because the Trinamool Congress was was trying to finish the Congress party log, stock and barrel. “The alliance with CPI(M) was to ensure that the secular democratic forces survive in West Bengal something which the Trinamool Congress was continuously targeting at,” the Congress leader said.

The 68-year-old Congress leader said that while the party’s national leadership may look at a larger picture in deciding as to how to engage with Trinamool Congress, for him the interest of the Congress party in West Bengal was paramount.

Mr. Chowdhury also rejects the claims made by Trinamool Congress leadership that an electoral understanding with Congress in West Bengal failed because of him. “They were never serious about having any alliance with Congress in West Bengal,” he said.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election came as a setback to the veteran Congress leader who lost Baharampur to Trinamool Congress Yusuf Pathan. With the defeat, it became evident that Mr. Chowdhury will have make way for new leadership that is more inclined to engage with Trinamool.

Subhankar Sarkar, the newly elected State Congress president has given hints of taking a soft stance towards Trinamool Congress and said will not unnecessarily oppose the State’s ruling party.

“For me Trinamool is a political party. If the party is able to protect the democratic space in the State, then I will not unnecessarily oppose Trinamool Congress,” the new WBPCC president said.

Political observers admit that by appointing Subhankar Sarkar, the Congress leadership has given a message to Trinamool Congress, but the new Congress president has a difficult task cut out to fit in shoes of Mr. Chowdhury who has been one of biggest Congress leaders with a support base of his own. Mr. Sarkar, however, has not had any electoral success and there are certain Congress leaders who still back Mr. Chowdhury.

The CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal has described the change of guard at the State Congress as the party’s internal affair and said that it will not have any major impact on the electoral alliance.

Md. Salim, the CPI(M) State secretary said he cannot make much sense about who is a “hardliner in the Congress and who is relatively soft”.

“Subhankar babu [Sarkar] has been appointed as State Congress president. This has nothing to do with Left Congress ties. The All India Congress Committee decides who is WBPCC president and the WBPCC decides on district presidents,” the CPI(M) leader said.

According to Mr. Salim when the entire State has erupted in protests over the R.G. Kar incident the future of Left and Congress understanding will depend on how things pan out on the ground. The Congress and Left Front came together to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election and won only one of 42 seats in the State. Congress candidate Isha Khan Chouhdury won the Malda Dakshin seat in the State, when political heavyweights like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Md. Salim had to bite the dust.

Published - September 23, 2024 09:11 pm IST