Subhas agrees not to fight for CAB post after talking to Jyoti Basu

Kolkata, Jan 23 (UNI) West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty here today said that he had decided not to contest the Februay one CAB President's election only after former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu requested him to do so.

Speaking to newsmen at his residence after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee formally announced at the state secretariat Mr Chakraborty's decision to step aside from the contest, the Sports Minister said since he considered Mr Jyoti Basu as his supreme leader,he could not ignore his advise and on that day itself decided to not to contest against city Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee for the CAB President's post.

''But as a disciplined soldier of the party I did not announce my decision then and there and left it to the Chief minister for making the formal announcement'', he said adding that he had conveyed his decision to Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose during a close door meeting with them at the state party headquarters here this morning.

Incidentally,the maverick sport minister has created a storm in the state politics by suddenly announcing his decision to contest the next month's CAB elections last week even while participating in the CITU conference in Bangalore and at the risk of violating the party discipline.

Though repeated request by Left Front Chairman Biman Bose had failed to convince Mr Chakraborty who looked determined to fight,had finally agreed to step aside after the intervention of the veteran leader Jyoti Basu thereby ending the week long drama and paving the way for an easy and uncontested victory of the Police Commissioner for the coveted post.

UNI