Split in Bengal Congress continues, former party MP Mannan Hossain joins Trinamool Congress

By Tamal Sengupta and Tomal Sengupta

KOLKATA: Split in West Bengal Congress continues to occur as a former Congress MP from Murshidabad district, Mannan Hossain on Saturday joined Trinamool Congress. Hossain joined the ruling party at a meeting held at Berhampore town. The rally was addressed by senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy, who made Hossain as the observer of the party's Murshidabad district. Just a month back, Hassan's son, Soumik had left the post of the president of the West Bengal Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (WBPYCC) to join Mamata Banerjee's party.

Murshidabad district is still considered to be a Congress stronghold and the state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hails from the district. Despite Mamata Banerjee's superb performance in this year's parliamentary elections, her party could not win any of the three parliamentary constituencies from Murshidabad district. While the Congress won two seats, the CPIM managed to wrest Murshidabad lok sabha by defeating Mannan Hossain of the Congress.

Since Murshidabad is her weak spot, Mamata Banerjee has made frantic move to strengthen her party before 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal by roping in veteran Congress leaders to her organisation. Joining of Mannan and his son Soumik in Trinamool Congress will certainly weaken the Congress in Murshidabad district. Quitting Congress by these two leaders is also being viewed as a direct blow to the state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is a staunch critic of Mamata Banerjee.

In fact, among the prominent Congress leaders in Bengal, Chowdhury is known for his "anti-Mamata stance" and the chief minister is very serious to teach him a lesson by weakening the Congress in Murshidabad district.