Jharkhand Congress MLAs in Delhi Over Cabinet Reshuffle

Eight disgruntled Jharkhand Congress MLAs arrived in Delhi to discuss cabinet reshuffle with the party leadership, expressing dissatisfaction over the induction of four party MLAs in the cabinet.

Amid growing resentment among some Congress legislators in Jharkhand over the induction of four party MLAs in the cabinet of Chief Minister Champai Soren, eight of the 12 disgruntled MLAs arrived in Delhi on Saturday evening to discuss the matter with the Congress leadership.

Demand for Replacement of Ministers

The dissenting MLAs, led by Kumar Jaimangal, expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision to retain the same four ministers - Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, and Badal Patralekh - in the new cabinet. They argued that the Congress, with 17 MLAs in the 81-member assembly, should have been given more ministerial berths, especially considering that the JMM, with 29 MLAs, already holds the chief minister and speaker's posts.

JMM's Persuasion Attempt

In an attempt to pacify the disgruntled MLAs, JMM's new minister Basant Soren, the youngest son of party supremo Shibu Soren, met with them in Ranchi. However, Basant Soren asserted that there was no confusion and that all the MLAs were united.

Threat of Boycotting Assembly Session

The 12 MLAs have threatened to boycott the upcoming state assembly session, scheduled to begin on February 23, if their demands for replacing the ministers are not met. This poses a significant challenge for the JMM-led alliance, which has a narrow majority in the assembly.

Discontent Among Senior Congress Leaders

Senior Congress leaders, including Mahagama MLA Dipika Pandey Singh and Mandar MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey, also voiced their discontent over the lack of new faces in the cabinet. They questioned the decision to retain ministers who had not performed well in the previous government and expressed their desire for a reshuffle to include more women and fresh faces.

Congress Leadership's Response

Congress state chief Rajesh Thakur acknowledged the concerns raised by the MLAs and assured them that the issues would be addressed. He stated that he would bring their sentiments to the attention of the party's central leadership, and expressed hope for a swift resolution.

New Faces vs. Retained Ministers

The disgruntled MLAs emphasized the need for appointing new faces who can fulfill the aspirations of the people and deliver better results. They argued that the ministers who had been retained had not delivered in the past four years and questioned the rationale behind their reappointment.

The ongoing discontent among Congress legislators in Jharkhand over the cabinet inductions has created uncertainty within the ruling alliance. The party leadership faces the challenge of addressing the concerns of the dissenting MLAs while maintaining stability in the government. The outcome of their discussions in Delhi will be crucial in determining the future course of the JMM-Congress alliance in the state.