Dilemma of coalition politics and its bearings on the upcoming lok Sabha polls would be raised in the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) meet, scheduled to take place in Delhi, on January 17.
A strong delegation — with 32 AICC members and 24 district presidents and some special invitees — of the Congress leaders is ready to leave with a host of related issues.
Party leaders from Jharkhand are largely interested in seat identification well ahead of the general elections, name of candidates on those and of course election for two Rajya Sabha seats slated to take place on February 7.
“The most important issue is the lok Sabha election. If the party wants to fair well in this then it should not delay any further in announcing seats on which the Congress would field candidates and also names of the candidates. It would provide sufficient time to them to prepare in their respective constituencies. I would raise the matter in the meeting,” said senior AICC member Radha Krishna Kishore.
Factions in the party are also of the view that central and State leadership of the Congress have not given desired and deserving support to dalit leaders despite the section’s backwardness. “The party has ignored leaders from the weaker sections, especially dalits. Only tribals are being given importance. I would demand that either the Congress field its own candidate from Palamau lok Sabha seat — which has over 25 per cent dalit population — or send a dalit to the Rajya Sabha from the State this time,” said a senior leader.
The party has been seen as a divided lot over the seat sharing agreement with coalition partners JMM and RJD on some parliamentary seats. A faction led by former PCC president and presently Rajya Sabha member Pradeep Balmuchu is feeling nervous over chances of Chatra and Palamau lok Sabha seats going to the RJD’s fold under coalition compulsions.
The Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu is said to be eying for Chatra seat and had organised a yatra and taken up some programme in the area while keeping the PCC president in dark.
The Congress is flexing its muscles for Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Giridih, lohardaga, Ranchi, Khunti, Godda and Koderma under its belt while leaving four to JMM and at least two to the RJD.
Making seat identification process public, though, would take some more time despite the urgency shown at both high and lower levels. Pertinent to mention here is the submission of Union Minister Jairam Ramesh where he clarified that the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also wants to be declare names of the candidates well in advance.
“The matter would be finalised by the Antony committee (made to look into coalition matters). I don’t think any decision on this would be taken before mid-February,” said PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat, who along with ClP leader Rajendra Singh is leading the delegation of party-men from Jharkhand.
This apart, the team would also put forth its recommendations for manifesto of the Congress from Jharkhand. The task was assigned by the central leadership and the party here had consulted a wide section of leaders and stake holders to identify areas that can be given space in the yet to be released manifesto for the 2014 polls. Bhagat, along with Alamgir Alam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Keshav Kalmesh and other leaders left for Delhi on Wednesday evening.