Abdul Mannan t

Calcutta, Dec. 8: Senior state Congress leader Abdul Mannan today quit as a general secretary of the state Congress in protest against what he said was the “inclusion of many unwanted elements” in the executive committee.

His resignation comes four days after the high command moved to boost party unity by accommodating all factions in the Pradesh Congress Committee. The party central leadership had announced the names of the 42 office-bearers of the new executive committee.

Mannan, a four-time legislator from Champdani in Hooghly who was also given a place in the committee in the December 4 shuffle, sent his resignation to state Congress chief Manas Bhuniya. Copies of the letter were sent to Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary in charge of Bengal, K. Keshava Rao.

Mannan, the Opposition chief whip in the Assembly between 1996 and 2001, stressed that he would continue to be an ordinary party worker.

Asked what he meant by “unwanted elements”, the 60-year-old said: “The PCC chief Manas Bhuniya has inducted many people from NGOs into the executive committee who have no political background. Party veterans like former Youth Congress president Amitava Chakraborty and minorities (cell) chief S. Hyder were denied a berth in the (executive) committee.”

But till late this evening, Bhuniya claimed he had not received Mannan’s resignation.

“I will get it once I reach the PCC office. But he is a good friend and a seasoned Congress leader. I got the information from the media, to whom he has given copies of the letter. I don’t know how he did this. It is a party letter addressed to me. I still don’t see why he quit, especially at a time we need to be united against the CPM,” Bhuniya said.