An alleged “masterstroke” by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sparked off a major crisis in Bengal Congress with senior MlA and former Pradesh Congress president Manas Bhunia defying the party line and accepting the chairmanship of the prestigious Public Accounts Committee which the Congress had decided to leave to the CPI(M) as a gesture of goodwill.
Earlier, Speaker Biman Banerjee had offered the post to Manas Bhunia ignoring Opposition leader Abdul Mannan’s requests of giving it to the left legislature Party leader and CPI(MP) MlA Sujan Chakrabarty.
The Congress saw in the “whole process of disregard the Opposition leader’s request” machinations of the Chief Minister who they said got the Speaker to ignore Mannan’s request and offer the prestigious post to Bhunia, who was apparently disgruntled by not being offered the Opposition leader’s post.
Bhunia, who on Friday received a letter of appointment from the Speaker promptly accepted it defying the party directives and said “this is a great challenge and I will try to live up to the expectations” adding “I will call the first meeting of the PAC soon in consultation with the Speaker.”
A teeth-gnash PCC immediately called an extended meeting of the Congress legislature Party which will be attended by senior leaders —including the MPs — where the party is likely to take some stern action against Bhunia.
While State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury would not comment on the issue sources said the party had already decided to “boycott” Bhunia and the meetings called by him. This apart, he is also likely to be suspended.
“He will not be expelled” to deprive him of any chance of switching sides to Trinamool Congress, a senior leader said. “let the people know how he has back-stabbed the party and the cause of the alliance. “He won his seat because he got the alliance votes. Now he is betraying the alliance.”
Bhunia is one of the senior most MlAs of the Congress who has been in the House since the time of Jyoti Basu. When contacted Bhunia said he would not attend the ClP meeting called on Saturday as he would be out of town. Sources close to him also said that he had “no immediate plans to quit the Congress and join any other party.”
Meanwhile, the left Front which polled about 26 per cent votes — winning 33 seats —but conceded the position of principal Opposition party to the Congress which polled 13 per cent votes (but won 45 seats) remained tight-lipped.
“We have decided to have floor coordination with the Congress and that scheme is still on,” a senior left leader said when asked to comment on the current crisis.