After the announcement of the third list of candidates for Jharkhand, voices of protest have started to rise in the State Congress. Deoghar district and Minority Congress have opened a front against the National leadership and the State leadership. Deoghar district cell members of the Congress have written a letter to the National President terming Deepika Singh Pandey as the weakest and dummy candidate and demanding immediate change of candidate.

The minority Congress has accused the Congress of ignoring the Muslim population and its representation.

Deoghar District Congress Committee has also written a letter to the party's National Chief, Mallikarjun Kharge demanding reconsideration of the name of the candidate from Godda parliamentary seat. The district committee argues that the party's decision is contrary to the organization and the ground reality. The District Committee has told the National President that 90 per cent of the population of the area was ignored. The District Committee says that 90 per cent of the population in Godda parliamentary constituency is backward, Dalit, tribal and minorities. The protesting Congress workers and supporters argue that Deepika Pandey Singh will prove to be a weak and dummy candidate here.

The committee has told the National President that the candidature of Deepika Pandey Singh and the party's announcement of five justices and 25 guarantees in Godda as well as population share are proving to be a sham. The committee has argued that from the announcement of the candidate it seems that the central leadership has not been informed about the actual situation on the ground. They have been misled. About 90 per cent of the population is unhappy with the party's decision.

Congress Rural Minority Department Chairman Shamim Akhtar has expressed his displeasure over Muslims not being given representation in the Lok Sabha elections. He said that after the formation of the State, a ray of hope had arisen among the tribal people here and especially the Muslims that Muslims would be represented in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly.

“Regional parties cleared their ground by giving tickets to Muslims. But the biggest party of the Country which claims to be secular did not consider the representation of Muslims in the Lok Sabha appropriate and gave a message among the Muslims that it too does appeasement politics in the name of BJP,” he added.

Akhtar said that Congress considered Muslims only as a vote bank. Whenever it comes to representation and political participation of Muslims, Congress ignores it. Congress has dug its own grave by not giving ticket to even a single Muslim candidate in the Lok Sabha elections.

“There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the largest religious and minority group in this State is Muslim. According to government figures, the Muslim population is 15 per cent whereas Muslim dominated areas are Sahibganj, Godda, Pakur, Giridih, Jamtara and Deoghar where the Muslim population is more than 20 per cent. But the Congress Party did not give tickets to Muslim candidates in any district or did not consider the representation of Muslims appropriate. Congress, surrounded by Brahminism, always deceives the minorities and considers Muslims as vote banks. This is the reason why most of the Muslims are inclined towards regional parties,” said Akhtar.