After witnessing two-month long drama at Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) headquarters, the Indian National Congress’ Interim president, Sonia Gandhi, announced veteran State Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon as new JPCC president.
An official press release issued by the JPCC informed that other than the State president, Gandhi also announced names of five working presidents of JPCC including Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, Irfan Ansari, Sanjay Paswan, Rajesh Thakur and Manas Sinha.
Rameshwar Oraon, a former IPS officer of Jharkhand cadre, is a senior leader of the party and has manned different posts in the State and Central leadership. Oraon was also the Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Senior party leaders from Jharkhand met Gandhi at the office of All India National Congress on Friday evening and shared their views on the contenders for the important position. After that, there was speculation that Gandhi can announce name of JPCC Chief at any time. Former State Minister Geetashree Oraon, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, former JPCC President Pradeep Balmuchu and former MP Rameshwar Oraon were among the leaders who met Gandhi on Friday.
Former JPCC Chief Ajoy Kumar had tendered his resignation just after announcement of Lok Sabha elections but the party top whiff not accepted his resignation asked him to continue. After facing defeat in the last Lok Sabha election the JPCC Chief become bone of contention as one faction of JPCC was demanding removal of Kumar.
The top position in the Congress party’s state unit had remained vacant since Kumar’s dramatic resignation from the position on August 9.
Kumar had spit venom in his three-page resignation letter to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and accused senior JPCC leaders of toxic nepotism and having vested interest.