A day after the heavyweight transport and irrigation minister Suvendu Adhikari’s resignation from the Trinamul Congress government on Friday speculation is rife that his another cabinet colleague Siddiqullah Chowdhury who holds the library and mass education portfolio may also quit ahead of Assembly polls scheduled in Bengal during AprilMay.
Siddiqullah will announce his future plan in politics after January.
The Reason: Chowdhury is seriously upset with the Trinamul Congress leadership’s reluctance to solve his grievances related to political control over Assembly constituencies – Mangolkot, Ausgram and Ketugram in East Burdwan district. Chowdhury is an MLA from Mangolkot. With the directives of the Trinamul Congress top leadership Anubrata Mondal, Birbhum district president of the party, looks after all political activities in the three assemblies which fall under the Bolpur parliamentary constituency. This system has aggrieved the library minister who does not want to continue his political work staying under Mondal, a strongman of Trinamul Congress in Birbhum.
“I am still in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet and won’t follow Suvendu. But I will announce my future plan of action in politics particularly whether I would quit or not after 15 February. Till then, let the political tawa in Bengal get heated. It’s true I am totally upset working under the political control of Birbum party leadership as well Anubrata Mondal who is neither my friend nor enemy,” Mr Chowdhury told The Statesman today.
“I have conveyed my grievances three times to the party supremo Mamata Banerjee and others like Subrata Bakshi. They have assured me to solve my grievances and I will wait for sometimes. My grievances are legitimate and justified. Why does Birbhum party leadership control the three Assemblies Mangolkot, Ausgram and Ketugram when all administrative works in these three areas are under the jurisdiction of district magistrate and superintendent of police in East Burdwan district?” the aggrieved library minister said.
“Election process like preparation of voters’ lists in the three Assemblies is also done under the supervision of East Burdwan district administration. There is administrative link between these three areas with Birbhum district administration. For instance, Karimpur is in Nadia district though it falls under the Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency. But the administrative and political activities in Karimpur assembly are looked after by Nadia district administration and Trinamul Congress leadership in Nadia,” he said.
“But for our constituencies we are facing a serious disparity in attitude of our party leadership. People of Mangolkot who have elected me won’t like to stay under the control of Bolpur party office. Many of my party workers facing criminal cases because of Anubrata’s directives,” he alleged.
When asked about Suvendu Adhikari’s decision to resign from the government Mr Chowdhury said, “I won’t comment because it’s his personal decision. But both the party leadership and Suvendu should have been aware of taking any move. Janra haat katchhen ba jinni taar nijer haat katchhen aage theke bhaba uchit haat jora laagbe kina. (People who are chopping off hands or the man who is also chopping his own hands off should be aware of whether the cut off hands could repaired or not.)”