A section of Congress is feeling uncomfortable with the decision of the party to tie with JMM. Senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi along with former Speaker Alamgir Alam and Radha Krishna Kishore have dispatched a letter addressed to party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi indicating the consequences the alliance would have on the workers and leaders of Congress, especially in Santhal Paragana area.
“Marandi and ground level workers of the Congress had worked very hard in building the party. With the alliance for 2014 lok Sabha polls, it is certain that the party would surrender Dumka and other seat to the JMM. The step has pulled the moral of the party workers down and has also generated anguish and anger amongst them,” said Kishore.
As per the agreement between the two, the Congress would contest 10 lok Sabha seats while the JMM would fight for the rest four in Jharkhand. Though no agreement has been done for Assembly seats but the party leaders are in the state of confusion.
“If the agreement gets extended for Assembly then the party would face a severe jolt. Those leaders who have prepared their areas would suddenly find in no man’s land and would be forced to jump on the other party. It would create a stampede in the Congress,” said a former Congress MlA.
In the wake of recent Government formation exercise, party level activities have also been put on backburner. The Congress had planned Divisional level meet of party workers but no such meeting has been called thus far.