Despite issue over chairmanship, Left MLAs attend PAC meet

Pressure is mounting on the Congress leadership in the state, with Left Front MLAs joining the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by its chairman Manas Bhunia on Friday.

The development comes as the deadlock over the post of PAC chairman still continues and has forced the party’s state president Adhir Chowdhury, Bhunia and Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan – who had proposed CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty to be the chairman of the committee – to seek intervention of the party’s supremo.

On Friday, Chakraborty and Biswanath Chowdhury of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) were in the Assembly.

Incidentally, CPI(M)’s state secretary and former MLA Surya Kanta Mishra was also in present there. Bhunia touched Mishra’s feet and had a cup of tea with him in the Assembly, followed by the PAC meeting which was attended by both Chakraborty and Chowdhury.

Chakraborty said: “I am not moving ahead with a mentality that there will be a problem to fight together for the people if Bhunia will be there”.

The statement raised several questions as Chakraborty, whose name was proposed by Mannan himself and had caused the entire problem, on Friday talked of fighting together with Bhunia.

Later, Bhunia appreciated the statement by Chakraborty on Friday’s meeting of the PAC. At the same time, he attacked the Congress leadership over the timing fixed to visit the Governor. He said that the meeting of the PAC was scheduled to take place at 1 pm; while the time for visiting Raj Bhavan was 1.30 pm.

“The leadership is not concerned about time management. Congress leaders have to learn time management,” he said.

Interestingly, Congress MLAs led by Mannan on Friday went to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum, stating that allegations against Bhunia in connection with the murder case of Joydeb Jana in Sabang were false and politically motivated.

Mannan, however, said: “Information was given to all the MLAs. I don’t know why he (Bhunia) didn’t come when the MLAs visited Raj Bhavan. It would be better to ask him.”