The idea was mooted by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury and during a meeting on Wednesday with the new Congress MLAs at the party office, all the 44 legislators signed the affidavit declaring they would not leave the party.
In a sign of desperate attempt to keep its flock together, 44 legislators, within its fold, West Bengal state congress has got them sign affidavit declaring allegiance to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on a Rs-100 stamp paper and promise that they wouldn’t leave the party.
The idea was mooted by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury and during a meeting on Wednesday with the new Congress MLAs at the party office, all the 44 legislators signed the affidavit declaring they would not leave the party.
While there was speculation that the move didn’t quite get unanimous approval from all the MLAs who signed the affidavit, a prominent Congress leader claimed that there was overwhelming support for the move.
“There was no objection from any of our MLA to this initiative taken by our state party chief,” senior Congress leader Manas Ranjan Bhunia told dna.
Bhunia, who has won the Sabang seat in Paschim Medinipur for the sixth time, didn’t quiet answer when asked why the party had to seek allegiance from its legislators at a time when it has improved its seat to 44 thereby becoming the main Opposition party, displacing the Left.
What was striking was the language used in the affidavit, which reeks of expression of unquestioned obedience to the Gandhi family.
“I do swear my unqualified allegiance to Indian National Congress led by Hon’ble Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi Ji and Hon’ble Congress vice president Sri Rahul Gandhiji,” thus began the affidavit document.
“It’s not defection to Trinamool Congress that the state Congress leadership is afraid of, it’s a move to stop any revolt against the central party leadership,” said one political observer.
“I as a Member of the Legislative Assembly will not get involved in any anti party activity. Even if I do not agree with any party policy or party decision, I will not make any negative comment thereon and I shall not take any negative action to the detriment of the party. In such a scenario, I shall resign from my post of MLA before making such comment or taking such action,” the document went on to add.
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