The Jharkhand unit of Congress party has hit another stumbling block after the appointment of a new party chief and his five subordinates here, insiders from the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) said on Monday. Infighting within the party, which was one of the reasons for the resignation of former State president Ajoy Kumar, has resurfaced with an uglier appearance in the past couple of weeks, they added.
A senior party leader, who is among the few tribal legislators from the Congress party in Jharkhand, on Monday said that the party’s interest has taken a back seat to internal rifts and personal propagandas here. “It is extremely disappointing to see that many senior leaders, including a few at the helm, are only concerned about their own political career. Some of these leaders are practicing vindictive politics and have waged war against their own party members,” he said.
The party’s high command in New Delhi, which appointed former MP Rameshwar Oraon as the State president last month, has instructed leaders here to stay mum about internal matters of the party, he said. “The situation has gone bad to worse. Ajoy ji may not have succeeded to win us elections, but at least his intentions were not malafide,” he added.
Kumar’s dramatic resignation from the top position in the party here had opened the floodgates of the boiling resentment and differences within the party here. In his three-page resignation letter, Kumar had accused some of the party stalwarts of malpractices and nepotism. He had also accused leaders of putting their own interests above that of the party.
Oraon and his team of five Vice Presidents were given a warm welcome by party workers in Ranchi on August 28. The grandiose of the event also did not go down well with some of the leaders here, who felt that the extravagance was uncalled-for at a time when the election was knocking at the door. Soon after the welcome, Oraon said that the party’s slogan in Jharkhand this time will be “Sonia Madam Ki Lalkar, Badlo Badlo Yeh Sarkar (Sonia Madam has challenged to uproot this Government). He refused to comment on the past events and said that the party will only think about the future and not delve in the past under his leadership.
Defending the party leadership, Oraon on Monday said that minor conflict of interest is a common phenomenon in all political parties and it should not be blown out of proportion. “Minor conflicts happen in all parties. Every leader has an opinion and it is not necessary that all other leaders will agree to it,” he said.
However, party insiders who have been in the thick of affairs lately said that the party is yet to start a dialogue with other parties regarding alliance for the upcoming elections. The Congress party played the role of a big brother in the recent Lok Sabha elections, but managed to win only one of the seven seats it fielded candidates for. As per its deal with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) back then, it was supposed to go to assembly polls as a part of a grand alliance, in which JMM would play the leading role.
“We have been in touch with JMM since Lok Sabha elections. I have personally met Hemant ji even before being appointed as the President of the party here. The alliance will be announced at the right time,” said Oraon.
