Malda: The Congress kicked off its campaign in the Malda South Lok Sabha segment on Thursday by naming Isha Khan Choudhury, the nephew of party patriarch A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, as the candidate for the seat.

The move has sparked a controversy within the Congress as so far, the Grand Old Party has not made any decision as to whether it will contest the elections in Bengal in alliance with some other political force. Also, no formal announcement of candidates has been made by the Congress so far.

On Thursday, as the party convened a preparatory meeting in Kaliachak 3 block located in southern parts of the district, a festoon, which was in the backdrop of the dais, distinctly mentioned that the event had been organised to make preparations to secure the win of “Isha Khan Choudhury, the Congress candidate Malda south seat.”

Isha, along with other leaders sat on the dais and attended the meeting that continued for around two hours.

Later contacted, the former Congress MLA termed it as a “manifestation of over-enthusiasm of his party workers”

“They love me and want me to contest from the seat. This is, however, not right as the party's high command has not yet announced the candidates. I have told them to abstain from putting my name in festoons from now on and wait till the party comes up with the candidates’ list,” said Isha.

Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury aka Dalu, the sitting MP of Malda South who has won thrice from the seat, is Isha’s father.

A couple of months back, Dalu had claimed that he would contest from the same seat for the fourth time. However, he fell sick later and is still under treatment.

Since then, Congress workers have started mentioning Isha’s name as the candidate instead of his father in what seems to be one of the safe seats for Congress. In 2019, this is one of the two seats which the party had won in Bengal.

Congress functionaries in the district, when mentioned about the festoon, evoked a mixed reaction. While a section of them said there is nothing wrong with it, others said such moves should be averted, keeping in mind the INDIA bloc.

“Isha Khan Choudhury seems to be an automatic choice if his father abstains from the contest. Isha has won in Assembly elections twice and from different constituencies. So he is the most suitable alternative,” said Kalisadhan Roy, the working president of Malda district Congress.

Another senior member of the party, who did not want to be named said advance claims for Isha as the candidate might affect the alliance.