P R Das Munshi arrives amid rousing welcome

Kolkata, Feb 15 (UNI) Newly appointed West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi arrived at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport today from Delhi to a rousing reception from hundreds of Congress supporters.

He was received at the airport by State Youth Congress president Amitava Chakraborty and North 24 Parganas district Congress Committee president Tapas Mukherjee.

Mr Pradip Bhattacharya, so long the working president during Mr Pranab Mukherjee's tenure and former PCC chief Soumen Mitra and leaders like Mr Manas Bhuiya, now believed to have joined a rival faction, were conspicuous by their absence at the airport.

Hundreds of Congress supporters gave a rousing welcome to the PCC chief, raising party flags and banners amid performances by a musical orchestra.

The Congress workers started converging at the airport since early morning in lorries, cars and two-wheelers, displaying the Congress and youth Congress flags.

Mr Dasmunshi's flight was scheduled to arrive at 1125 hours but was delayed by half an hour. The PCC chief had to spend almost 15 minutes inside the VIP lounge while policemen and CISF personnel tried to control the over enthusiastic supporters from gatecrashing through the special exit gate at the domestic terminal.

There was almost complete chaos as soon as Mr Dasmunshi arrived and he was somehow whisked away after acknowledging his supporters.

He later left along with a huge convoy of cars to Bidhan Bhavan, the state PCC quarters.

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