Pranab Mukherjee's Son Dispels Rumours Of Joining Trinamool

Dispelling rumours, Late President Pranab Mukherjee's son, Abhijit Mukherjee, today made it clear that he is not leaving the Congress unlike his friend Jitin Prasada.

Television channels and a few newspapers had reported that he would be joining the Trinamool Congress today.

"I remain in the Congress and reports that I am joining Trinamool or any other party are not correct," Mr Mukherjee, a former Lok Sabha MP and Congress Campaign Committee chairman during the assembly elections, told the PTI over phone.

Mr Mukherjee had good relations with Jitin Prasada, who recently joined the BJP, when they were colleagues in the Congress Parliamentary Party, and the Late President was also known to be fond of him and his father Jitendra Prasada.

Mr Mukherjee, an engineer-turned politician who won twice from Jangipur constituency, said in a lighter vein: "I am nearly 300 km away from the Trinamool Bhavan right now, sitting in Jangipur House... so, unless someone can teleport me, it would be impossible for me to join any party this afternoon."

He said the rumours probably arose after some of his father's former Congress colleagues "who are now in Trinamool" had come to have tea with him.

"They included MP Khalilur Rahman from Jangipur, MP Abu Taher Khan from Murshidabad and TMC ministers Akhrruzzaman and Sabina Yesmin. But, I have known them for long, as they were close to my father... to speculate that just because friends came to meet me, I will join TMC, is stretching it too far," Mr Mukherjee said.