Removed as Bengal Congress chief, Adhir Chowdhury wary about assigned role

Kicking off fresh speculations of the Congress joining hands with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Adhir Chowdhury, who was known to be a trademark anti-TMC face, had been removed from the post of state Congress president and has been made the chairman of the campaign committee of the party. Veteran politician Somen Mitra has replaced Chowdhury as the party's West Bengal unit head.

The rejig in the state unit was done following a letter from All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi on September 21. Congress Rajya Sabha member Pradeep Bhattacharya has been made the chairman of the coordination committee. Besides, four working presidents have been appointed — Sankar Malakar, Nepal Mahato, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunshi.

Outgoing party state president Chowdhury said that it was a routine affair but added that he was unaware of the campaign committee of which he has been made the chairman. "I am not aware of the agenda of the campaign committee so let it come to me first, and then I will have to decide on my next course of action."

Asked if he had been removed to make it easier for the party to get into a tie up with the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he said, "I don't know about that, but as far as I am concerned my message is loud and clear that I will always be against the TMC, come what may. The Congress has been devastated by the TMC in Bengal. Congress had been turned into a persecuted tribe. How can we join hands with such a party?"

Abhijeet Mukherjee, party MP and son of former president of India Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed as the chairman of the manifesto committee while Santosh Pathak has been made the committee's convenor.

Amitabha Chakraborty has been made the chairman of outreach and communication and Subhankar Malakar has been appointed as convenor of the coordination committee.

Mitra, when asked about his stand on alliance with TMC, he said, "It will be best if Congress can stand alone on its own strength in the state because forming an alliance can help Congress initially increase the number of seats but in the long run party strength will wilt. We have seen this in the past." He however, added that the decision of the party high command would be final and he would stick to it.

Adding to the controversy, party Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Bhattacharya said that under the leadership of Mitra the party will have less groupism which had weakened the organisational strength of the party in Bengal.