Bengal Cong MPs in race for MoS post

Going by the AICC formula, the state Congress, which returned six MPs to Parliament, is supposed to get the posts of a Cabinet minister and a minister of state (MoS). Hence, after Mukherjee, the race has hotted up among the rest of the MPs.

Reports reaching the Congress camp said on Saturday that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, CWC member Digvijay Singh and Ahmed Patel, met in the capital to discuss the possible ministerial candidate. While the meeting was supposed to tentatively finalise the name of an MP and recommend the same to Sonia Gandhi, reports said the decision had been left to the AICC chief herself.

Those leading the race are Mausam B Noor and her uncle Abu Hashem. Mausam is Rahul Gandhi’s favourite. Being a woman and from a minority community, she has a strong chance. And going by the same logic, Abu Hashem has not been lagging behind either.

Also, he has the strong backing of an influential section in the state Congress committee.
That raises the question as to what happens to three-time MP Adhir Choudhury. That he has been a strong contender is not in doubt. But the reason why he is likely to lose out in the race is that he hails from the same district as that of the finance minister.

Some leaders also claim Deepa Dasmunshi also has a strong chance to make it to the government. P R Dasmunshi, her husband, was a cabinet minister. Hence, she might be given a chance though there is also a possibility that she might as well be left out on the ground that she is a first-time MP.