A meeting attended by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's son, Abhijit, has set off speculation in political circles on whether he would plunge into politics by being a Congress candidate in the assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled next year.
What fuelled the speculation was Mukherjee attending a meeting on November three at Nalhati in Birbhum district, about 70 km from here, at which Congress leaders and workers were present.
Birbhum DCC president Asit Mal said though it was a goodwill meeting after Eid and Bijoya organised by a non-political organisation, party workers and leaders present declared in one voice that Mukherjee should be the candidate from Nalhati constituency in the assembly elections.
“Party workers were happy that Abhijitbabu was among them and wanted him to be a candidate in the coming assembly elections,” Mal said.
WBPCC chief Manas Bhunia, when asked, said he would be happy if Abhijit decided to contest the assembly elections.
"We are looking for good candidates and he is from a political family and inherits the Congress culture. He is a citizen of India and can contest," he said. Bhunia, however, said that there was no discussion in the party on this.