Senior Congress MLA from Sabang, Manas Bhuniya, on Friday went on a collision course with his party and formally accepted the appointment letter of chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), ign
Senior Congress MLA from Sabang, Manas Bhuniya, on Friday went on a collision course with his party and formally accepted the appointment letter of chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), ignoring their strong Opposition. Cocking a snook on both Congress legislature party leader Abdul Mannan and state party president Adhir Chowdhury, he personally met state Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee in the afternoon and thanked him for the appointment.
Both Mr Mannan and Mr Chowdhury had tried to put pressure on him to resign from the post of the PAC. Refusing to buckling under their pressure, Mr Bhuniya made it clear that he had no such intention. A defiant Mr Bhuniya also declared that he would not attend the extended Pradesh Congress Committee meeting on Saturday which state president Adhir Chowdhury has convened. “I am leaving Kolkata later in the evening for two days,” he said.
Describing the chairmanship of the PAC as “a very challenging job,” Mr Bhuniya said: “I have informed the Speaker that I would in a few days decide on the date on which I will hold the first meeting of the committee.” This was clearly a message to his friends in the Congress party that he was going ahead with the responsibility that the Speaker has entrusted him with.
Mr Bhuniya again reiterated his charge that Mr Mannan decided to gift the PAC chairmanship to Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty just to deny him the coveted post. “Mr Mannan misled both the AICC president and Adhir Chowdhury. Adhir can find out if Mr Mannan ever convened any CLP meeting to reach a unanimous decide on making Sujan the PAC chairman,” he added.
He also voiced his disappointment at the extended PCC meeting convened by Mr Chowdhury instead of convening a CLP meeting. Mr Bhuniya’s confrontationist stand has left the state Congress unit in a tight spot. Sources said that a large section of party MLA — specially those from Murshidabad and Malda — advocated strong action against Mr Bhuniya. However, a section of state leadership cautioned Mr Mannan and Mr Chowdhury against aggravating the conflict. When Mr Mannan on Friday met Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya, he advised him that he must not take any decision which will divide the party. It remains to be seen what decision is taken in Saturday’s extended PCC meeting.
