The politics of Jharkhand Congress has once again shifted to Delhi as a number of Congress MLAs, including a Minister, are camping in Delhi apparently to seek intervention of the central leadership to put pressure on State leadership as well as the State Government to address outstanding issues raised by them in the past.
Six MLAs namely Irfan Ansari, Bandhu Tirkey, Umashankar Akela, Purnima Niraj Singh, Pradeep Yadav and Dipika Pandey Singh are in Delhi. Health Minister Banna Gupta is also in Delhi.
However, Gupta, Ansari and Dipika Pandey clarified that their Delhi visit has nothing to do with party affairs and the Government. The Health Minister said he is in Delhi in connection with a programme in Haryana where he was invited as the guest. Ansari claimed that he is in Delhi for the treatment of his father.
Dipika Pandey Singh, who is also AICC secretary and in-charge of election bound State Uttrakhand said since being the in-charge she has to frequently visit Delhi whenever summoned by central leadership to discuss affairs of Uttrakhand.
In recent days she has taken exceptionally strong steps criticising the party and the Government for not fulfilling promises made in the election manifesto. The Congress is part of the Hemant Soren led Government and she had minced no words criticising the Government and the party.
Three other women MLAs of the party namely Mamata Devi, Amba Prasad and Purnima Niraj Singh are also unhappy with the Government and the party.
Few days back they had raised their concerns before the Minister and leader of the legislative party Alamgir Alam.
In fact right from MLAs to party workers and leaders; discontentment is on rise as they feel that State leadership and party’s Ministers in the Government have become self-indulged and they don’t bother for larger interest for the party and workers.
For instance one ministerial berth is still vacant and state leadership is reluctant to claim the vacant berth. Similarly, the post of the chairperson of almost all boards and corporations is vacant where party workers and leaders should have accommodated. Even the 20th programme committee has not been constituted.
Tirkey and Yadav have their own concerns. They had won election as the JVM nominee. They joined the Congress after JVM chief and MLA Babulal Marandi joined the BJP. But technically they are still treated as independent MLA as their matter is pending before the court of Assembly Speaker. Both of them learnt to have met State party in-charge RPN Singh and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal urged upon them to persuade the Assembly Speaker to give a decision of their case.