Kolkata: Congress in West Bengal on Monday 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.
Bhuniya said four Congressmen in Nadia district, close to
district Congress president Shankar Singh, have also been
suspended for contesting against Trinamool nominees.
Though 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. Chowdhury and 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."
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.
Hakim is the sitting MLA from Alipore in Kolkata which
has been abolished.
Mollah, sitting Congress MLA from Garden Reach, now
known as Metiaburuz after delimitation, is contesting as
an independent against Trinamool nominee.
PTI
