Bhunia seeks Sonia’s permission to stay on as PAC chief

Kolkata, Aug 16 (PTI) West Bengal Congress leader ManasBhunia today wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi requestingher to allow him to continue as the chairman of the importantPublic Accounts Committee. "I have written a letter to Sonia Gandhi requestingher to allow me to continue as the chairman of the PAC. In theletter I have briefed her about the series of events that hadtaken place since the nominations for the post of PAC chairmanwere filed," he told PTI. "Our party supremo should know how state Congress chiefAdhir Chowdhury and Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan havemisguided the AICC and the Congress leadership," Bhunia said. The development came a week after a meeting was convenedby Congress general secretary C P Joshi which was attended byLeader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Abdul Mannan,state party chief Adhir Chowdhury and Bhunia to discuss thecontentious issue after the party had favoured a CPI-Mrepresentative for the post. According to Congress sources, Joshi had last weeksuggested Bhunia to write a letter to the AICC describingthe series of events and his wish to continue as the PACchairman. After last week’s meeting, Chowdhury had said, "Thedecision over giving the post of PAC chairman to CPI(M) wastaken by our party chief Sonia Gandhi. Now if our party chiefendorses the decision of Manas Bhuniya keeping the post, thenI have no problem. Whatever she decides we will follow that." Bhunia had been issued a show cause notice after herefused to step down from the post despite repeated requestsby party leaders. Thirtynine Congress MLAs had also jointlyappealed to Bhunia to step down. The Congress wanted the PAC chairmanÂ’s post to go toCPI(M) with which it had contested the West Bengal Assemblyelection. PTI PNT MDSK