Infuriated by West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s strident opposition to Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature for presidential election, the state Congress leaders on Monday hit the street denouncing her action.
The statement issued by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam declining to contest the presidential poll for a second term came as a shot in the Congress’ arms which gloated over Ms Banerjee’s discomfiture and embarrassment. “An hour ago Dr Kalam has announced that he did not want to get involved in this jhamela (mess). Now where will Didi go?” asked Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury. He said that Ms Banerjee’s one-point agenda was to prevent Mr Mukherjee from entering the Rashtrapati Bhavan. “To pursue this objective, she rushed to Delhi and held a meeting with Mulayam Singh. It is unfortunate that when for the first time a Bengali has got the chance to occupy the highest Constitutional office in the country, another Bengali was trying to create hurdles in his path,” he added. Mr Chowdhury claimed that after dislodging the CPI(M) from power, the Trinamul Congress was bent on destroying the Congress in Bengal.
“The chief minister’s agenda is to banish the Congress from Bengal. However, contrary to her attempts, the Congress is flourishing,” he added.