The members of the Jharkhand State Congress Committee today came out in the open to challenge the decision of playing second fiddle to the JMM during the forthcoming Assembly elections, taken by party's State in-charge B K Hariprasad a few days back.
During a meeting of extended working committee of the party here, they categorically told State unit president Sukhdeo Bhagat that the coalition should not be continued any longer.
"We cannot afford to bear the brunt of the wrongdoings committed by our alliance partners any more. We have already paid the price for our support to the Koda Government," they maintained.
"The party workers have expressed their feelings regarding the coalition during the coming Assembly elections which will be forwarded to the party High Command in Delhi," said party spokesperson lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo. Soon after the meeting, Bhagat left for Delhi.
"A unanimous decision was taken during the meeting by the party leaders against going to the polls under the leadership of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) or any other regional party during the coming Assembly elections," pointed out a Congress leader.
"I am completely against any alliance in the State. We had to pay the price of the wrongdoings of the alliance partners in the past too, particularly during the regime of Madhu Koda," said a senior party leader and former MP Furkan Ansari. "They manage to win elections with the support of Congress workers and run the Government making a dent on our image," added Ansari.
When asked about the recent controversy over the statement given by State in-charge BK Hariprasad to go for polls under the JMM leadership, Ansari retorted that he has no right to take a decision on the internal issues of the State unit. "Being a State in-charge, he should only convey the feelings of the State leaders to the party High Command and vice-versa.
He is nobody to take a decision in our matters," Ansari added.
He also alleged that due to lack of leadership in the party, the leaders have become self-centred, serving their own interests.
Bhagat, however, said that he was flying to Delhi and a final decision will only be taken after a thorough discussion with the party High Command.
"No decision on the coalition has been taken so far; nothing could be said on the issue until and unless the seats are finalized," Bhagat said. "I have heard the workers and will intimate about their feelings to the party High Command," he added.
Notably, Hariprasad had sparked a debate among party workers after he declared that the Congress will contest the Assembly polls in Jharkhand under the leadership of the JMM. Most of the senior party leaders along with the workers came together in the open against Hariprasad, opposing the decision taken by him without taking the party workers or the leaders into confidence.
According to party insiders, some of the sitting MlAs, who have understandably been assured of party tickets as winnable candidates, have been misguiding the party leadership on the issue of coalition.
Senior party leaders like MPs Dheeraj Sahu, Pradeep Balmuchu and former MP Subodh Kant Sahay along with a handful of leaders are already camping in Delhi to convince the party High Command on the issue.