ANDAMAN SHEEKHA EXCLUSIVE :::: Is Bhakta planning a comeback??

 

Sanjib Kumar Roy
Port Blair, July 28: In the month of July 2010 when Andaman Sheekha had first reported about formation of Trinamool’s Andaman unit and possibilities of Mr. Manoranjan Bhakta Joining the TMC, the Congress unit had openly rubbished the news item. Ultimately on August 6, 2010 Trinamool Congress named Mr. Manoranjan Bhakta, former MP of A & N Islands, as its first president of Andaman Nicobar Trinamool Congress (ANTMC).

Now Andaman Sheekha has learnt from reliable sources that Mr. Bhakta is planning for a comeback and the stage for his comeback has already been set.

According to highly placed sources Mr. Bhakta will join Congress from New Delhi and later he may come back to Andaman and aim for the President PCC seat, before or after 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.

It has been learnt that a few very senior Congress leaders are now openly batting for Mr. Bhakta and have almost cleared the way for his return.

Meanwhile, this news has sent shivers down the spine of many other Congress leaders as in Andaman, Congress President’s seat is considered more powerful than MP’s seat, if Congress Party is in power in Centre.

Rahul Gandhi had also recently made clear that candidates who are running for MP seat must leave the president seat of their respective areas. This means if Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma contests for MP seat, he will have to leave the President’s seat. A few very senior leaders are already eyeing on that seat and hence it will not be easy for Mr. Bhakta to grab the PCC president’s seat.

It has been learnt that a group of people have now launched an all out campaign against Mr. Bhakta and are leaving no stone unturned to inform the Congress headquarters that re-entry of Mr. Bhakta in Congress will result in a great divide in PCC.

Mr. Bhakta was elected to the 6th Lok Sabha in 1977 from Andaman and Nicobar Islands constituency and was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004 from the same constituency. In 2010, after being denied a ticket in an election, he left the INC and later joined the Trinamool Congress, which is believed to be his biggest political blunder.