SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 20: The conflict in the faction-ridden Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) is likely to intensify further as two stalwarts of Jharkhand former MP Chandrashekhar Dubey alias Dadai Dubey and MLA KN Tripathi have not been invited to the national convention of the organisation called by S Sanjeeva Reddy group to be held in Delhi from February 22-23.
Dadai Dubey and KN Tripathi both head INTUC factions claiming the original one. The matter is pending in court.
Since former AICC president Sonia Gandhi had in December recognized S Sanjeeva Reddy faction as real and directed other faction factions to withdraw cases, it was expected that at the Delhi convention, Dadai Dubey and KN Tripathi too would be invited.
The Jharkhand INTUC senior vice-president and state Cong Disciplinary Committee chairman Brajendra Prasad Singh before leaving for Delhi today said that 200 delegates from Jharkhand would participate in the national convention. The names of Dadai Dubey and KN Tripathi are not figured in it.
A senior leader of INTUC said that after recognizing the Reddy faction in December same time former AICC president Sonia Gandhi had also directed all warring factions of INTUC to withdraw cases pending in courts.
“KN Tripathi, the Jharkhand president of the KK Tiwary faction, has no relevance but Dadai Dubey has a strong base in the coal sector. He was asked to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge if he has any grievances. Since Dadai Dubey has neither met the AICC president nor withdrawn cases in Delhi High Court so far. His faction has been not been invited to the national convention,” the senior leader said.
KN Tripathi had also filed a nomination in the AICC presidential election against Mallikarjun but his paper was rejected.
Though despite repeated attempts Dadai Dubey did not receive calls, a leader of his faction said that he would file for withdrawal of petition in court when the date of the hearing will come. But Dadai Dubey was not interested to participate in the convention of the Sanjeeva Reddy faction.
The AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge would inaugurate the convention in which over 6000 delegates across the country and 1800 general council members will participate.
Besides Jharkhand INTUC president Rakeshwer Pandey, vice-presidents Brajendra Prasad Singh, Suresh Chandra Jha, AK Jha, MLAs – Jayamangal Singh, Anup Singh, Sarfaraj Ahmed, Amba Prasad, former MLA Sukhdev Bhagat, Virendra Prasad Ambastha, Santosh Mahto, Mithilesh Singh, Ramprit Yadav, SK Sahi, Harendra Choudhary, Shakil Ahmed, Ashok Lal and SS Jama left for the convention.
The participation of vice-president Suresh Chandra Jha in the national convention is considered a major setback to Anup Singh-led Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union (RCMU). Jha a senior trade union and Cong Party leader of the coal belt region runs RCMS parallel to RCMU.
