VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 8: Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur has snubbed the so-called four disgruntled MLAs of the party for creating an impression that there are rifts within the party and Congress ministers are an incompetent lot.
Many top leaders of the party, including a minister said that these MLAs are acting under the instruction of the JMM and the government to defuse the pressure built up by the Congress against the government for the formation of the coordination committee and the common minimum programme. They are being doubted as the chosen instrument of the JMM to divert attention from the real issues.
The four MLAs, Irfan Ansari (Jamtara), Uma Shankar Akela (Barhi), Naman Bixal Kongari (Kolebira) and Rajesh Kachhap (Khijri) held a meeting on Thursday and issued a joint statement.
They alleged that the Congress ministers in the Hemant Soren government don’t even listen to their own party MLAs. These ministers, including Dr. Rameshwar Oraon, Alamgir Alam, Badal Patralekh, and Banna Gupta have failed to meet the aspirations of the people and the party hence they should be replaced. They further said that these ministers were rejected by people. Irfan Ansari’s ministerial ambition is an open secret.
They informed that they are in touch with five other MLAs of the party and they have sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi and AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal.
“I came to know about their meeting and statements they made. They should raise their concerns and complaints at the party forum. After Avinash Pande took charge of the state Congress, a three-day Chintan Shivir was held. It gave us ample opportunity to share our thoughts even with Rahul Gandhi. The legislative party meetings have been organized thrice. MLAs had the opportunity to meet Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal for a free interaction,” said Rajesh Thakur.
“Politicians with tacticum personality are always appreciated. We should speak less and listen more. Instead of getting brainwashed we should apply the brain also and this applies to all,” said Rajesh Thakur.
When asked about the posturing of these MLAs, one of the MLAs of the Congress disparagingly said: “do you think they deserve so much media attention? After all whose interests they are serving?”
A senior Congress leader claimed that these MLAs are allowing themselves to be used by the JMM. “There are troubles within the JMM as MLA Sita Soren and Lobin Hembrom have caused much discomfort. The Congress also has made some demands like the formation of the coordination committee and the common minimum programme because we want the government in a smooth manner. The chief minister and his party seem to have used them nicely to divert attention. They praised the chief minister and criticized their own party ministers. The funniest thing is that after slamming Congress ministers, they met Rameshwar Oraon to have tea with him,” said the leader.
A Congress minister echoed a similar statement. “I welcome them if they are reviewing our performance. But before doing so I wish they would go through official records. Everybody in the party knows whose interest they are serving,” said the minister.
