Obstinate Bhunia faces flak from all quarters of Congress

With the mud-slinging in Congress seemingly going on unabated, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Manas Bhunia sent SMSes to West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Adhir Chowdhury and leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan to allow him to work for the post for one year.

WBPCC members will sit on Friday to discuss, among other things, the steps that should be taken 

against Bhunia. Despite requests from All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge of West Bengal  CP Joshi and other MLAs of the party to relinquish the post, Bhunia went ahead and held the first meeting of PAC. The Congress MLAs skipped the meeting.

Bhunia said both Chowdhury and Mannan had misled the AICC. The party had sent his name for PAC chairman’s post and accordingly Speaker Biman Banerjee made him the chairman.

The post is given to the Opposition party. Congress, with 44 MLAs, is the primary Opposition party, while the Left Front with 32 MLAs is the second largest.

Bhunia said he should be allowed to work for one year. Earlier, Mannan had said as the PAC could raise questions regarding financial irregularities, the party thought that Sujan Chakraborty of CPI(M) would be the right person. He had taken up the matter with AICC which too approved his proposal.

Political experts said that Chowdhury and Mannan were using the situation to try to settle scores with Bhunia. Chowdhury does not want any contender for his presidentship, which would come to an end in 2018. Mannan, as the Opposition leader, will remain in his post till 2021.

Sources said this mud-slinging would eventually affect the party’s rank and file. “The issue has shown how senior party leaders criticise one another and this will affect the party’s organisation,” they remarked.