No matter how much some of the Congress MlAs were desperate to jump into the BJP bandwagon in Jharkhand, the faction members have gone into their shells with their counterparts JVM’s seizing the opportunity first. The rebel MlAs, who have been camping near BJP shelter for long in the want of an amicable entry into saffron party, are now in bash-BJP mode.
As per reports in the media, Irfan Ansari of Jamtara, Nirmla Devi of Badkagaon, Manoj Kumar Yadav of Berhi and Bidesh Singh of Panki were in constant touch with BJP leadership for breaking away from the Congress. “I think what the BJP has done today is not good for democracy. After all an MlA wins on a party symbol and he should be faithful to that party only. People of the constituency have voted for the leader and his party. The BJP is indulged into horse trading and using money power to purchase MlAs which is not good for Jharkhand either,” said Irfan Ansari on Wednesday.
The Jamtara MlA has been vocal against his party and its decisions and had even snick into the car of Chief Minister Raghubar Das when the latter was on his way to airport to catch a flight for Delhi last week. However, Irfan had briefly attended the Opposition leaders’ meet at Hemant Soren’s residence along with Congress legislative Party leader Alamgir Alam, Jarmundi MlA Badal Patralekh and State Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat none of the other legislator had turned up.
A senior leader who has left the JVM recently and considered close to the BJP top brass conveyed that one of the Congress legislators had in fact contacted him in order to pave his way into the BJP. “He contacted me few days ago and asked how he can get into the BJP easily and also requested to make sure that he gets a Cabinet berth. He said, ‘Sir, kuch jugad lagaiye’,” said he.
But now as the scenario changed with six JVM legislators coming out all of sudden and stormed their entry into the BJP on Wednesday in Delhi leaving the Congress MlAs with no option but change of heart. “Our resentment has been with the party and I was not contact with the BJP or any other party. I am a committed worker of the party and will remain so,” said another.
Irfan Ansari nevertheless continued with his aggression against his party leadership and opposed the election of Alamgir Alam as ClP and demanded removal of PCC president. “With the given team it is not possible to revive the Congress in the State. I will meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on February 15 in Delhi and apprise them with the weakness of the party and existing leaders. If they did not pay any heed on my demands I would be free to choose my future course of action,” he said.