In Ranchi, discontent brews over the reappointment of four Congress MLAs to Chief Minister Champai Soren’s cabinet. The party’s legislators are contemplating drastic measures should these incumbents not be replaced promptly.
Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, and Badal Patralesh, former members of Hemant Soren’s cabinet, find themselves once again in Champai Soren’s ministerial lineup.
Expressing dissatisfaction, Congress MLA Irfan Ansari asserted that unless these seasoned ministers from the Congress quota are substituted, the 12 Congress MLAs are prepared to take extreme actions. Ansari declared his intention to depart for Jaipur or Bengaluru on the same day.
Emphasizing that their discontent is directed towards the ministers from the Congress quota, Ansari clarified that it’s not a reflection of displeasure with the Jharkhand government or the Congress high command. According to him, the previous term’s performance of these ministers left much to be desired, causing hardships for MLAs and workers in their respective areas. He lamented their lack of responsiveness to party MLAs and workers, despite their party affiliation.
Rajesh Kacchap, the Congress MLA from Khijri, added that the reappointed ministers were unpopular among party workers and office bearers in their districts. He bemoaned the difficulty in reaching out to them, citing unreturned calls to both MLAs and party workers.
The disgruntled Congress MLAs have submitted a list of demands to AICC Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir. Among these demands is the insistence that Congress negotiate with JMM for the 12th ministerial position that remains unoccupied. Additionally, they are actively pursuing discussions with senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal to address their concerns.
With intentions to disrupt the upcoming budget session, the incensed 12 Congress MLAs are contemplating skipping the Assembly session and departing the state today.
Anticipating the cabinet expansion, Congress MLAs had previously called for fresh faces in the government, nurturing hopes of securing ministerial roles. Their meeting at Ranchi Circuit House resulted in a collective threat to advocate for their demands.
