Though it is not new for the grand old party to fight against its own people more vigorously than rivals, the factionalism still worth talking when the row reaches up to insiders verses outsiders level. The Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee is presently up against a situation similar to that when the old partymen are turning the heat on those who have been ‘imported’.
A recent brawl has taken place over the press conference organised by the party in which Congress national spokesperson Ajay Kumar addressed the media over the Hyderabad suicide incident and several other issues. A group of the party office bearers was not only missing from the scene but also later blamed the other group for not meeting traditions of the Congress fully.
“You must have seen the banner put for the PC. Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee was missing from it. Worst was to see that even pictures of our national president Sonia Gandhi and vice-present Rahul Gandhi were nowhere on the banner. These things are bound of happen when you have a handful of leaders coming from outside who conduct themselves on their will,” alleged a general secretary of the JPCC.
Interestingly, the leader went on naming the ‘outsiders’ for the blunder. “Rajiv Ranjan Prasad who organised the PC has come into the party from the JVM. He has closeness with Ajay Kumar, also a former JVM leader. We have some other elements in the form of Ajay Rai, Uday Shankar Ojha or Shamsher Alam who have come from other parties and still have not been habituated into the Congress from their heart,” he added.
Another party insider also referred to a mahamilan or induction ceremony organised by the party on last Sunday where some workers and activists of AJSU joined Congress. “You would be surprised to know that even senior leader and former MP Subodh Kant Sahay’s close confidents tried to stop them from joining. They tried this more than the AJSU leaders did,” he alleged and charged that the group did not participate actively in party’s programme ‘gaon-gaon-paon-paon’, ongoing membership drive and even during the lohardaga by-poll.
Moreover, the group at the receiving end snubbed the claims and retorted. “How can they say thisIJ What kind of traditions are there to be followed at PCIJ Pictures of Congress leaders usually do not remain during a PC. Anyway it was not done deliberately. Even Jharkhand Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat was present there,” said Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, member of party’s media coordination.
Clarifying his position even further, Prasad added that he might have come from any other party but now is fully committed to the Congress and its principles, policies and leadership. “It may have been an attempt to malign the image of ours. I held several camps in Ranchi for membership and actively participate whatever responsibility is given to me,” he said.