Former West Bengal Congress chief Manas Bhunia likely to join TMC

KOLKATA: Rebel West Bengal Congress leader Manas Bhunia who dubbed CP Joshi as "sleeping (AICC) general secretary", is all set to quit the party and join ruling Trinamool Congress next week.
"Bhunia has made up his mind and in all likelihood join TMC on Monday," sources close to him said.
Indicating that he might quit the party, Bhunia, a former state Congress president had yesterday said, "In my long political career, I have never seen such a sleeping general secretary.Congress is melting away in West Bengal and he is sleeping. I am thinking how long I can stay in the party."
Asked whether he is quitting the party, Bhunia had said "I had the privilege to work under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi. I respect Soniaji, Rahulji. But the inaction of Joshi compelled me to think whether to continue in Congress."
He accused Joshi of not doing anything and said Congress has almost decimated in the state under the leadership of WBPCC chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and CLP leader Abdul Mannan.
His brother Bikash Bhunia, who was a Congress leader in Midnapore, had recently joined Trinamool.
Heaping praise on chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Bhunia had described her as the "best chief minister in the country" and said all political parties should thank her for returning the farmlands to farmers in Singur.
Bhunia fell out with both Chowdhury and Mannan over the issue of accepting PAC chairman's post despite Congress' opposition. He had refused to step down from the post.
The high-powered Central Disciplinary Action Committee of Congress, headed by A K Antony had sought an explanation from Bhunia for his various actions that had put him at loggerheads with the state Congress as also the state CLP which had recommended his suspension.
Bhunia was a cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee government in 2011 when Congress was a part of it.