Tamal Kanti Banik appointed new Cachar Congress president

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: The trouble-torn Cachar Congress at last got a new boss as the State body had appointed Tamal Kanti Banik as the president (in charge) of the district unit. Karimganj Congress, which also saw fisticuff among the cadres of various lobbies, got Rajat Chakraborty as the new president. On the other hand, Shamsuddin Barlaskar had been appointed as the new district president by the APCC. The order, signed on Wednesday by general secretary of the State Congress Apurba Bhattacharjee, made the announcement for the appointment of new president for six districts.

Congress in Cachar was a troubled house for at least eight years. In spite of Susmita Deb winning the 2014 general election amid Modi-wave, the Congress in Silchar started to erode fast. Susmita, an excellent debater in Parliament proved inefficient in managing her home ground. The debacle started with the Silchar Assembly bi-election in 2015 and thereafter, with every election, the party found itself in tougher situation. Though in last Assembly election, Congress won two seats out of seven in the district, the price the party had to pay to AIUDF was much more. Deb, who was vocal against forging alliance with AIUDF, quit Congress, joined TMC, made a Rajya Sabha MP by Mamata Banerjee. The dissidents who teamed up against Susmita got themselves engaged in backstabbing. APCC appointed veteran Arun Dutta Majumdar as the interim president but he too failed to keep the house in order.

Last month, the cadres were seen fighting each other inside the party office in the presence of Apurba Bhattacharjee. The significant twist in Silchar Congress was the division in communal lines as the Muslim members alleged that they were being cornered by the leadership even though the minorities were still the face saving vote bank for the party.

In this backdrop, Banik on Wednesday was made the president. A former municipality chairman, Banik unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly election. An ace stage performer and a leading young businessman, Banik had an accessibility in the town folk, but he was always seen as an amateur and part-time politician.

Also Read:   Two-Time Congress MLA Bismita Gogoi Likely To Join BJP: Reports

Also Watch: