By Our Correspondent
Agartala, 08/03/2010
As chief minister of the state he has the final say in the state administration. Now Mr Manik Sarkar has again shown that he has the final word in the party too. The only politburo member had his way and other top comrades had to join the chorus and support the decision taken by him to nominate Ms Jharna Das as the candidate for the Rajya Sabha poll. Sources said, majority of the party leaders wanted party spokesman and editor of party mouthpiece Daily Desher Katha, Mr Gautam Das to be nominated as the party candidate.But chief minister Mr Sarkar was the one who impressed the fellow comrades that the announcement of the name of Ms Das will work wonders for the party as the announcement will coincide with the international day of women. This in turn will also help the party shed the tag of anti – women and the allegation that in CPI(M) women are not elevated to the highest echelons of power.
If insider sources in the ruling party are to be believed the personal equation and rapport of Mrs Panchali Bhattacharjee, wife of Mr Sarkar and Ms Das worked in her favour. The personal rapport between the two over the years who have been toiling in the state social education and social welfare sector has not gone unnoticed. It may be mentioned here that a few years ago Mr Gautam Das was all set to become the new state secretary of the ruling CPI(M). At that time too it was the support of Mr Sarkar that ensured that he got to the backbench and Mr Bijan Dhar take charge.