In a major setback to Congress in West Bengal, its Lok Sabha MP from Malda Mausam Benazir Noor on Monday join Trinamool Congress. Noor, a niece of former Union minister, late A B A Gani Khan Chowdhury, has represented the Malda Lok Sabha constituency two-time. She joined the TMC on Monday in the presence of TMC Supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at State Secretariat Nabanna.
Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee announced that Noor will be the TMC candidate from the same constituency in the upcoming General Election and campaign for the party in all districts of North Bengal. ‘She will be our candidate (Lok Sabha) from Malda (North). Apart from other areas, she will campaign in districts of North Bengal like Murshidabad and others,” said Mamata Banerjee speaking with media persons at Nabanna.
Malda Lok Sabha Seat is one of the strongholds of the Congress Party. Malda has sent a Congress member to Lok Sabha ever since Khan Chowdhury first got elected in 1980 – he continued until 2004, after which his brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and niece Mausam Noor, became Congress MPs from the two seats in Malda.
Speaking on her exit from the Party, Noor said, “The people of Bengal want Mamata Banerjee – there is no denying that fact. I intend to work for people following the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee. Everyone in Bengal know she symbolises development and secularism.”
Reportedly, both Noor and her Uncle Hasem were keen to have Congress – TMC alliance for the Lok Sabha Polls 2019. However, Congress state Unit was not of the same opinion and does not want to have any trucks with the Mamata Banerjee led Party in the state.
Speaking on Noor’s exit from the party, Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Bhattacharya said the switchover should not be seen as a setback.
“People might feel this is a setback for Congress, but people like us, who understand the party, know that it does not depend on just the leaders but on workers. Congress workers have not switched. Congress workers are here and until then there is no setback for the party. We don’t know the reason for Mausam going to the TMC. We had asked her if she had something to say, she never said anything. I hope she reconsiders her decision,” he told ANI.