Dissident spared for sake of alliance?

When the Congress high command is acting tough on dissident Independents, here is one person in Kolkata who has been spared. Ram Pyare Ram, the dissident Independent, stands out as an exception. The reason is obvious. Pradesh Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders are well aware of the fact that this six-term MLA might upset the prospects of the alliance candidate Firhad Hakim. The Congress has thus avoided acting harsh and the Trinamool is sending him feelers. According to Trinamool sources, Ram has been promised a mayor-incouncil berth in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation if he pulls out of the fray.
The re-shuffle in the KMC is likely after the assembly polls. The feeler comes from none other than by his onetime mentor Somen Mitra, now a Trinamool leader. Ram on Thursday confirmed receiving such hints. “I have heard some moves are being made.
If there is a concrete proposal, I can think of it. But as of now, I am determined to fight and my fight is for the survival of the Congress in Bengal.” In Murshidabad and North Bengal districts, Congress dissidents contesting as Independents remained defiant. Most of the independent candidates laughed at the suspension notices served on them by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). They said that they had resigned from the Congress. Malda zilla parishad member, Al Biruni, son of influential Congress leader and former minister Gulam Yeazdani, said, “The notice of suspension is pointless to me. I resigned from the Congress long ago to contest as an Independent candidate.” Shahnawaz Quadri, the niece of Ghani Khan Choudhury, is the Congress district president Ghani Khan’s brother Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury’s own candidate at Mothabari against official Congress candidate. Following the threat of expulsion by the Congress high command, Abu Hasem on Thursday said, “I cannot take action against Quadri as she is not a member of the Congress party.” Quadri, however, confirmed that she got the Congress party membership from PCC. However, Abu Hasem made his support to Quadri apparent by his conspicuous absence in Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Mothabari in support of Congress candidate Sabina Yasmin. Kanhaialal Agarwal, dissident leader contesting as Independent candidate from Islampore, also said, “I am no more a Congress man. I have resigned.
So no threat of suspension can prevent me from contesting the election.” Similar is the view of Chittaranjan Roy of Hemtabad and Ashok Mondal of Dinhata. Deepa Das Munshi, at the behest of whom they are contesting elections, has already disntanced herself from them. Munshi’s main aide and Uttar Dinajpur district Congress president Mohit Sengupta, however, ruled out any support to Independent candidates.