Congress in West Bengal today said two rebel sitting MLAs in Kolkata and four other party members in Nadia district have been suspended for contesting against candidates of their poll ally Trinamool Congress.
“Yes they are suspended,” WBPCC president Manas Bhuniya told reporters here when asked if the party had taken any disciplinary action against rebel party MLAs Ram Pyare Ram and Abdul Khaleq Mollah.
The two had refused to withdraw from Kolkata Port and Metiaburuz constituencies respectively and were contesting as independents against Trinamool Congress nominees there.
Dr. Bhuniya said four Congressmen in Nadia district, close to district Congress president Shankar Singh, have also been suspended for contesting against Trinamool nominees.
Though Dr. Bhuniya did not name them, sources in the district Congress said they include local Congressmen Sarifuddin Munshi (Kaliganj seat), Rajiv Seikh (Karimpur) and Anil Barui (Nakashipara).
The state Congress chief however sidestepped repeated questions on whether the party was contemplating action against its two MPs Adhir Chowdhury in Murshidabad district and Deepa Dasmunshi in North Dinajpur district who have campaigned for rebel Congress candidates contesting as independents against Trinamool nominees in some seats.
“We are watching and waiting to get reports from party observers. Mr. Chowdhury and Ms. Dasmunshi are the two important leaders of the party in West Bengal. And both of them said they were working for the party in the ongoing polls.”
Mr. Ram, who won from Kabitirtha, which stands abolished after delimitation, for the sixth consecutive time, was denied ticket this time which prompted him to file nomination as an independent from the newly-created Kolkata Port constituency where Trinamool has fielded Firhad Hakim, a close lieutenant of party supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Mr. Hakim is the sitting MLA from Alipore in Kolkata which has been abolished.
Mr. Mollah, sitting Congress MLA from Garden Reach, now known as Metiaburuz after delimitation, is contesting as an independent against Trinamool nominee.
“I have not received any suspension letter from the WBPCC. I do not bother if it has suspended me. But I think it will think twice before issuing a letter to me,” Mr. Ram said.
He asserted that he was still an AICC member and confident of his victory from the seat.
“Congress is in my blood. I have not resigned from the Congress. I am contesting as an independent at the insistence of voters of my constituency who want me to go to Assembly for the seventh time.”
Last week, the Congress suspended about a dozen party members who are contesting against official candidates of the Trinamool Congress and Congress, mostly in North Dinajpur and Malda districts where polling was being held in the first phase today as also in Murshidabad district where elections will be held in the second phase on April 23.
The action follows Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s repeated warnings that such candidates who did not withdraw their nominations could face suspension from the party for six years.
“I also appeal that decisive action be taken against those leaders of the Trinamool Congress who are contesting against Congress candidates,” Dr. Bhunia said.
Congressmen, including two sitting MLAs, WBPCC members, functionaries of District Congress Committees and Zilla Parishads, were earlier suspended on April 14.
Polling for the first phase was held today while last date for withdrawal of nominations for the third and fourth phases of the six—phase Assembly elections are already over.
