Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, dubbed as ‘Super CM’ in Jharkhand, is said to have played a crucial role in deciding tickets in Jharkhand for lok Sabha elections. According to top sources of the party, his intervention came into play when veteran Congressman Chadrashekhar Dubey was denied a party ticket at the last moment despite his fair chances to win Dhanbad seat.
The Union Minister is reportedly again playing spoiler for sitting Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay, who had to quit his chair as Union Tourism Minister following the coal scam controversy. Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi also used to maintain a distance from Sahay during his visits to Jharkhand. “He (Sahay) was talking to me last night and said clearly and categorically that Jairam Ramesh’s ego clash with him is behind his tough times. Ramesh is demolishing one leader after another against whom he has any kind of grudge,” said a Congress leader from Delhi.
Sahay is camping in Delhi along with his supporters after strong indications that the party would replace him this time around. Dubey’s relation with Ramesh had been uncomfortable. He had been criticising Ramesh for his interventions in the State affairs and had turned the table on the Union Minister when they last met at the party office. Outspoken Dubey had even alleged Ramesh for facilitating illegal mining at Saranda which the former accepted openly while talking to this newspaper after joining Trinamool Congress on Sunday.
Ramesh had warned Dubey several times for his diatribe against the Hemant Soren Government as the Congress was running the government in alliance with the JMM. Party sources said that Ramesh has the full support of Jharkhand in-charge BK Hariprasad in infusing decisive interventions in the State as they have direct approach to the coterie of the high command. “They provide feedback based on their own perception that, on the most occasions, is guided by their vested interest in the State. Ajay Dubey (given party ticket to contest from Dhanbad) is a coal-man with huge money,” said a source.
In the case of Sahay, Ramesh has reportedly made the high command understood that celebrities like film actress Nagma can be a good candidate from Ranchi, an urban centre. “The feedback is despite knowing the fact fully well that the party does not have any leader with support base at par with Subodh Kant. That is the reason why they are looking for an outsider celebrity,” added the leader. Ramesh is said to be justifying his interventions as an effort to garner fresh legs and faces for the party keeping future of the party in mind.