Pranab doubtful about remaining WBPCC chief

Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee is non-committal about continuing as the president of WBPCC.

Notwithstanding the request by the state Congress leadership, Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee is non-committal about continuing as the president of WBPCC saying he has already submitted his resignation to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.

HT Image

The state Congress leadership including its working president Pradip Bhattacharya and Congress legislature party chief Manas Bhuniya had met Mukherjee at his residence in Kolkata on Sunday and requested him to continue as as the PCC president citing problems in running the party organisation.

"We are facing problems in running the party affairs in the state in the absence of a PCC chief. So we requested Mukherjee to remain as the WBPCC president," Bhattacharya said.

"But Pranabda said he had already submitted resignation and it was for the party high command to take a decision."

Mukherjee had resigned as state party president last month owning moral responsibility for the poor performance of the Congress in the recent assembly election.

Political observers, however, said it was an attempt to thwart a move by loyalists of Information and Broadcasting minister PR Dasmunshi to instal him as the WBPCC president.

The state Congress working president however refused to attach any importance to the meeting saying the party was not bothered about such things.