Barely a fortnight after the announcement of new Pradesh Congress Committee, two of the party MlAs lambasted State unit president and lohardaga legislator Sukhdeo Bhagat, charging him with bartering the posts in the organisation.
Party’s Barhi MlA Manoj Kumar Yadav and Jamtara legislator Irfan Ansari, at a Press meet, alleged that Bhagat indulged into corrupt practices, making money out of the organisation and playing into hands of others to downgrade the party in Jharkhand.
“Our fight is not for the chair of the PCC president but against the person who is shortsighted, incapable and corrupt. Sukhdeo Bhagat has been feeding wrongly the party’s high command in Delhi to get his decisions approved. He has sidelined real Congressmen, tribal and minority leaders and appointed his close aides as party office bearers which as weakened the Congress. We are only concerned about future of the party in the State and have decided to take up the matter with national president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi,” said Manoj Yadav.
Ansari went even ahead and accused Bhagat of taking money in the lieu of positions in the PCC. “He has decided to finish honest party workers one by one. He is not a Congressman either. He took bribe for NREGA, Indira Awas and pension schemes when he was a BDO. Similarly, he sold posts of vice president and general secretaries in the PCC for money, expensive gifts and foreign trips. Sukhdeo Bhagat even took Rs 10 lakh from party MlA Nirmala Devi for helping her jailed husband and I have proof of that,” said the Jamtara MlA.
The MAls also flanked by recently ousted party leader Ajay Rai, former Youth Congress leader Manas Sinha and host of their supporters claimed that removal of the JPCC chief is the only way to salvage the party in the State and predicted that the Congress would reduce to scratches in the State if Bhagat remains at the helm.
“Congress had won 14 seats under Pradeep Balmuchu which has come down to six under Bhagat. I am sure it would reach to zero if he is not removed soon. Several reminders were given to him to mend his ways but he is unwilling to improve. Now, we would organise meetings in every district, hold rallies against him and raise our concern before the party high command until he is dismissed as PCC president,” added Irfan Ansari.
However, when contacted, Bhagat rubbished the charges terming those unworthy of being responded. “They would speak as per their values. I am least bothered about their statements and totally focusing on the task the party leadership has handed over to me for the State,” the PCC chief told The Pioneer.