NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Months before the assembly elections in West Bengal, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday relinquished one of his many responsibilities -- the state party chief\'s position -- to pave the way for a `full-time\' successor.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi appointed the party leader in the state assembly, Manas Bhunia, as the new Bengal party unit president.
Mukherjee\'s preoccupation as the UPA government\'s principal trouble-shooter stood in the way of giving more time to the party in the state where the Congress-Trinamool alliance is perceived as within striking distance of power through elections early next year. After the rout of the CPM-led Left Front in the recent municipal polls, a strong demand has been raised for advancing the assembly elections.
\"Subsequent upon the decision of Pranab Mukherjee to resign as West Bengal PCC president due to his heavy responsibilities in the government, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accepted the proposal for appointing Manas Bhunia to the post,\" party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Mukherjee had taken over as state party chief after the incumbent, P R Das Munshi, fell ill about two years ago.
Bhunia, a well-respected Congress leader with a consistent record of getting elected to the assembly, is taking up the reins of the party at a time when the going is actually very tough for it.
With the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool -- a breakaway faction of Congress -- currently riding the crest of an unprecedented popularity wave, the trend of Congress activists joining its ranks has become strong. As state Congress chief, Bhunia\'s first challenge will be to arrest the exodus.
About his new responsibilities, Bhunia said his priority would be to strengthen Congress and cement its alliance with Trinamool.
Given Mamata\'s mercurial ways it will perhaps be easier for a leader of lesser stature than Mukherjee to deal with her.
However, as a closer reading of the municipal poll results reveals, to oust the Left, Mamata needs to do everything possible to prevent a split in the non-Left vote. The alliance, therefore, works more to her advantage than that of Congress.
\"I will strive to make the alliance stronger in the state,\" Bhunia said.
Bhunia\'s appointment came within weeks of a similar revamp in the Bihar party unit. It is now clear that the Congress leadership will go ahead with such reshuffles in several other states without waiting for the ongoing organisational election to complete.
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com
Sunday, June 27, 2010
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