Cong leaders agitate for not being allotted party tickets

Kolkata, Apr 1 (UNI) Congress leaders at Jorabagan, Jorasanko and Burrabazar today launched an agitation near the party office for not being given tickets for the coming Assembly polls in West Bengal.

Sitting MLA of Jorasanko Manoj Poddar said the candidates that they had chosen were 'ignored' by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress.

He alleged the two Congress leaders, PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, were destroying the party. ''The next generation will not even see an All India Trinamool Congress or Congress government at the helm of power in the state,'' he said.

He said party president Sonia Gandhi had been in favour of an alliance, but the two Union Ministers 'worked against' it.

''We will stay in the Congress, but if the candidate of our choice is not nominated we will support the AITC. Mr Mukherjee and Mr Dasmunsi should be replaced by new leaders who are be able to show a new path and defeat the ruling Left Front in the state,'' Mr Poddar added.

He threatened to continue agitating till Mr Mukerjee reaches the state.

He said since 1952, the Congress had been winning the Jorabagan seat but this time the party, instead of giving the ticket to him, had allotted it to Youth Congress president Amitabha Chakraborty.

''YC president Mr Chakraborty can contest from any place he chooses,'' Mr Poddar said. He also said another candidate, Chandrima Bhattacharjee, wanted to fight from the Rashbehari constituency but was given the Alipore seat.

''Why should there be two rules in the same party for the same post,'' he added.

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