Malda, Feb. 20: The Malda Trinamul Congress today announced the names of block presidents and working presidents, a decision that is being seen by party insiders as a move to placate two camps of ministers Sabitri Mitra and Krishnendu Chowdhury.
For more than a year, Malda Trinamul had been hard pressed to name presidents for 15 blocks and two municipal areas. Today, party district president Moazzem Hossain announced the names which, insiders said were a "fair mix" of sympathisers of both Mitra and Chowdhury. The list was published at a press meet in the party office in Vivekanandapally here.
(in picture by Surajit Roy)
Sunanda Mazumdar, a known follower of Mitra, has been made president of Manikchak block. A close aide to Chowdhury, Swapan Mishra, has been put in charge of Englishbazar (rural) block.
"The choices are a mix of supporters of both the ministers. The party does not want any more infighting ahead of the civic polls and Assembly elections in 2016. Our party had seen acrimony between the two camps last year when district working president Pratibha Singh was physically assaulted," said an insider.
Singh, a councillor of Englishbazar municipality and known to be close to Chowdhury, was pushed off a dais in Ratua on August 13 during a meeting to elect a block president. The attack was reportedly led by Yasim Sheikh, said to be a sympathiser of Mitra.
Hossain said: "It is not correct that sympathisers of the ministers have been given preference. Those who have a good record of working efficiently for the parry have been put in charge of blocks. We are yet to decide on the president and working president of Bamungola block. Englishbazar MLA Krishnendu Chowdhury will look after Englishbazar civic area. Bibhuti Ghosh has been made the block president of Old Malda municipal area." He added the names had been cleared by Mamata Banerjee.
Today, both the ministers said little about the list. Chowdhury said: "The party has done what it thinks is best for its activity in Malda. I have nothing more to say." Mitra said: "I am not the person to comment on the matter. Our district president will talk to the press."
