Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faces Uncertain Political Future After Defeat in Baharampur

Veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, defeated in Baharampur, ponders his uncertain political future. The loss to TMC's Yusuf Pathan ends Congress's grip in the region. Chowdhury discusses his future, the party's decisions, and calls for protection of Congress workers amid concerns of post-poll violence.

A day after his defeat from the Baharampur parliamentary constituency, veteran Congress leader and five-time MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury voiced uncertainty about his political future on Wednesday.

Chowdhury, a key figure for Congress in West Bengal, was comprehensively defeated by Trinamool Congress's star candidate, cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan, by a margin of over 85,000 votes.

This defeat marks a significant loss for Congress, stripping them of one of their last strongholds in West Bengal and leaving the party with just the Malda Dakshin seat in the state. Chowdhury expressed apprehensions about his future and admitted neglecting his sources of income in his political journey, branding himself a 'BPL MP' and expressing concerns over how to move forward.

In an interview with a Bengali TV channel, Chowdhury revealed plans to vacate his MP residence in the Capital, highlighting the personal impact of his political loss. He also delved into the dynamics with Mamata Banerjee's TMC, explaining his resistance to an alliance and seeking security assurances for his party workers amid fears of post-poll violence.

Despite his electoral defeat, Chowdhury acknowledged the internal decisions of the Congress party and mentioned his attempts to resign from his state PCC chief position, staying on due to requests from senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi. He critiqued the party's campaign decisions in Baharampur, noting the absence of central leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in the area during the elections.

Chowdhury, who has been a consistent advocate for a Left-Congress alliance in Bengal to counter both the BJP and TMC, reflected on the diminishing impact of this coalition in recent elections. His efforts, often seen as defiant of the Congress high command's wishes, now face a harsh political reality amid the changing electoral landscape.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)