The meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday afternoon sparked speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle, which in turn triggered speculation in West Bengal about the possibility of induction of some state Congress MPs in the Manmohan Singh government. There are six Congress Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP from the state.
A state Congress functionary said that three MPs — Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury, Adhir Chowdhury and Deepa Das Munshi — were in the race for a ministerial berth at the Centre.
The supporters of state Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that his name was also under consideration.
A close associate of Mr Khan Chowdhury (the Malda South MP) went so far as to claim that he had received a phone call from the Cabinet secretary asking him to be present in Delhi on Sunday. “We are delighted that the party high command is planning to make Dalu da (Mr Khan Chowdhury’s pet name) a Central minister,” he added.
He acknowledged that Mr Khan Chowdhury’s name was under consideration for a ministerial berth because he is the younger brother of heavyweight Congress leader late A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury. “His being a member of the minority community may have also enhanced his chances,” he added.
Sources said that Rahul Gandhi had suggested the name of another MP from Malda district and state Youth Congress president Mausam Benazir Noor. Mausam is Mr Khan Chowdhury’s niece and one of the youngest MP.
Adhir Chowdhury inarguably is the most charismatic Congress leader who is also the party president of Murshidabad district.
“If Adhir da does not get a place in the Union council of ministers then he will be compensated with the post of state Congress president,” a close aide said over phone from Berhampore.
Ms Deepa Das Munshi is a firebrand woman leader of the Congress who has endeared herself to the party high command for her fearless confrontation with chief minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
“She is carrying on the legacy of her ailing husband Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and at the same time, has also made a niche for herself as a popular leader of North Bengal,” sources added.