Malda, Jan. 4 -- The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Malda has strongly downplayed the political impact of former Rajya Sabha MP Mausam Benazir Noor's return to the Congress, asserting that her exit would in no way weaken the party's organisational strength in the district.
Noor formally rejoined the Congress on Saturday at 24, Akbar Road in New Delhi, ahead of the upcoming Bengal Assembly elections. Her return to the party founded by her maternal uncle, late Congress heavyweight A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, has drawn attention in Malda's political circles, given the historical influence of the Ghani Khan family in the district.
However, district TMC leaders maintained that the development would have "no effect" on the party.
Malda district youth TMC president Prasenjit Das said: "Mausam was originally with the Congress and later joined Trinamool. Trinamool gave her due and made her a Rajya Sabha MP. If she has different political ambitions now, that is her personal decision. It will not affect Trinamool in any way." District TMC chairperson Chaitali Sarkar echoed similar sentiments. "We respect the legacy of Barkat da (Ghani Khan Choudhury). Mausam leaving the party is her choice. Whether it has any impact or not will be decided by time, but Trinamool's base in Malda remains intact," she said.
English Bazar Municipality chairman Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury was more forthright, remarking: "As a Rajya Sabha MP, she did not carry out any significant work. Leaving Trinamool in anticipation of a Congress ticket will not cause any damage to our party."
Political observers note that Noor's move comes amid uncertainty over the renewal of her Rajya Sabha tenure, set to end in April and reported differences with sections of the district TMC leadership.
Sources also point to her campaigning for Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury during the last Lok Sabha elections as a factor that strained her relations within the party.
While the Congress hopes Noor's return will help consolidate the Ghani Khan family legacy and bridge internal divisions, the TMC has made it clear that it sees the development as politically inconsequential, reiterating that the party remains confident and unaffected in Malda.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.