Kolkata: Dissension in the West Bengal unit of the Congress party has come out in the open with the brother of late Malda strongman A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury claiming he has been "stabbed from behind" after being denied the party ticket.
Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury's said this on Thursday after the party announced Sujapur Congress legislator Mausam Benazir Nur, his niece, as the candidate for Malda (North) Lok Sabha seat.
Mausam's name was announced by the Congress high command a day after Abu Naser, with his brother and party candidate from Malda (South) Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury by his side, declared that he has been given the ticket for the constituency.
"I've been stabbed from behind by my own party. There were some technical problems about my Indian citizenship, and my party high command asked me to furnish some papers which would prove my citizenship to contest the Lok Sabha election," said Abu Naser.
He said the party instructed him to start campaigning for the election but said he should not disclose his name officially.
However, Naser did not hold Mausam responsible for his predicament.
Choudhury said: "Don't drag Mausam into the picture. She did nothing."
Malda was considered the fief of A B A Ghani Khan, who never lost an election from the district and was widely respected for the development work done there during his several stints in the union cabinet.
Even after his death, Congress politics in Malda has revolved around his family. Mausam became the Congress legislator from Sujapur this year succeeding her mother Ruby Noor.
Ruby Noor, who was also the Malda district Congress president, died last year.
Abu Hashem, the district party chief now, represents the erstwhile Malda seat in the Lok Sabha.
"The decision has shocked the people of Malda because they thought Naser will contest from the Malda (North) Lok Sabha seat. But suddenly everything has changed," said Abu Hashem.
The constituency goes to polls on April 30.
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