Cong MLAs threaten to contest as Independent

Kolkata: Continuing to oppose the Congress decision to enter into a seat-sharing agreement on Trinamool Congress' terms, two sitting party MLAs Ram Piyare Ram and Abdul Khalek Molla, who saw themselves shifted from their

constituencies, on Wednesday threatened to contest as Independent candidates.

Ram, a six-time MLA from Kavitirtha, now known as Kolkata port constituency after delimitation in the south-western part of the city, said, "He was 'extremely shocked' to find himself removed from his long-held constituency this time and threatened to contest the seat as an Independent candidate

'under pressure from my voters'."

"There was a deep-rooted conspiracy to remove me from the constituency and it was a meek surrender by the AICC to leave the seat to Trinamool Congress," Ram told PTI.

Ram said he returned on Wednesday from Delhi where he met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and discussed the question of leaving the seat to Trinamool Congress.

The Congress leader said he would take the final call on Thursday after seeking opinion of 'local people' on the question of contesting as an Independent candidate.

"My party has done a grave mistake which my voters will not forgive and still they repose faith in me and want me to contest," Ram said adding that the question of launching a campaign would follow.

Abdul Khalek Molla, sitting Congress MLA from Gardenreach, now named Metiaburuz after delimitation of the constituency, strongly resented his being left out of the seat which had been given to Trinamool Congress.

Resolving to contest as Independent candidate, Molla regretted,"Due to some unknown reasons, my party Congress sacrificed this constituency to Trinamool Congress."

Dissension among Congress leaders in North Dinajpur, Murshidabad and Nadia district had already surfaced with Deepa Dasmunshi and Adhir Ranjan Chaudhury (both Congres MPs) and Nadia district Congress chief Shankar Singh coming down

heavily on the party high command for 'sacrificing the winnable seats to Trinamool Congress under the new seat-sharing agreement'.

The three Congress leaders said they would strongly resist any attempt to give away any seat to Trinamool Congress, rejecting high command instruction to launch a joint campaign.