Pranab Mukherjee’s son tipped to contest in West Bengal

KOLKATA - Congress stalwart Pranab Mukherjee’s technocrat son Avijit could be seen as a party candidate from the Nalhati seat in Birbhum district in the West Bengal assembly polls next year if the state party leaders have their way.

Pradesh Congress chief Manas Bhunia claimed that 52-year-old Avijit, an engineering graduate from Jadavpur University, is “positive” about contesting.

“I have told him that he should contest. I have been encouraging him since. His response has not been negative. In fact, he seemed pretty positive,” Bhunia told IANS.

The only hitch seems to be that Avijit, a general manager with the public sector undertaking Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), would have to relinquish his executive job.

“That I don’t think should be a problem for him. Politics is a vast arena and it will provide him an opportunity to work on a larger canvas and serve the people and society in a more worthwhile manner,” Bhunia said.

“Moreover, with Pranabda (Pranab Mukherjee) being one of the leading figures in the country’s politics, Avijit can always turn to him for guidance and the necessary tips.”

Praising the junior Mukherjee, Bhunia said he was “very efficient, and sincere, besides being very down to earth. Such a man can be an asset”.

The Mukherjees hail from Birbhum district’s Meriti area near Kirnahar in Nanur block. The family’s traditional Durga Puja attracts a large number of people, with Pranab Mukherjee himself donning the robe of the priest.

The buzz about Avijit, who has so long kept a very low public profile, started Nov 3, during a Durga Puja Vijaya Sammilani at Nalhati.

“Avijit, who had participated in the get-together, was almost mobbed by 2,000 of our party workers. They all wanted him to contest from Nalhati in the coming assembly polls,” Birbhum district Congress president Asit Mal told IANS.

“The workers said if a celebrity like Avijit joined the poll fray, it would help in ushering in development in the district, just as Murshidabad district gained tremendously after Pranab Babu got elected from Jangipur,” Mal said.

Asked whether the district leadership saw merit in the workers’ demand, Mal said: “Grass root level workers are the mainstay of any political party. When they are so vociferous in their demand for having him as a candidate, who are we to object? And why should we?

“We have told our workers that we will abide by their wishes. Now it all depends on Avijit. And that day he had told the workers that he will be with them on development issues concerning the district.”

“We are now strengthening our organisation in the Nalhati seat by forming booth level committees. If Avijit gives the formal nod, we will approach our state leadership, Pranab Babu and the party high command,” said Mal.

Nalhati has long been a citadel of the state’s ruling Left Front partner Forward Bloc. “But now the situation has changed. The opposition now controls nine out of the 12 gram panchayats in the areas. If there is an alliance between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress for the assembly polls, the LF will lose this seat,” Mal added.

Another Congress leader and state Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) president Pradip Bhattacharya was gung-ho over the possibility of Avijit contesting.

“So far, we have not discussed his candidature at the state level. But I can say for certain, that he is welcome to contest,” said Bhattacharya.

(Sirshendu Panth can be contacted at s.panth@ians.in)