12 Disgruntled Jharkhand Congress MLAs Reach Delhi For Talks Amid Disagreement Over Cabinet Berths

New Delhi: Amidst simmering discontent within the Congress ranks in Jharkhand over the inclusion of four party MLAs in Chief Minister Champai Soren’s cabinet, eight out of the 12 disgruntled legislators have convened in Delhi. Speaking to news agency PTI, Congress legislator Kumar Jaimangal, known as Anup Singh, expressed the group’s stance, stating, “We have reached Delhi. Rest will be reaching tomorrow… We will hold discussions with the Congress leadership here… We want replacement of all the four.”

Jharkhand: Demand for Cabinet Reshuffle Echoes in Delhi

The dissenting MLAs are demanding a reshuffle in the cabinet, contesting the Congress’ decision to allocate ministerial berths to Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, and Badal Patralekh. Highlighting the party’s stance, Jaimangal emphasised, “We are not compromising on that,” pointing out that the Congress has 17 MLAs compared to JMM’s 29, as per PTI’s report.

In a bid to address the discontent, JMM’s new minister Basant Soren engaged with the dissident MLAs in Ranchi. Asserting solidarity, Basant Soren remarked, “There is no confusion… we are all united,” post the meeting, the report stated.

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Key Concerns Raised by Dissenting Jharkhand Congress MLAs

The dissenting MLAs, echoing their discontent, threatened to boycott the upcoming state assembly session if their demands for a cabinet reshuffle are not met. Rajesh Kachhap, Congress MLA from Khijri, questioned the disparity in treatment within the alliance, stating, “When JMM can give new faces, why not Congress? Nobody is a king in a democracy.”

Voicing concerns over representation, senior Congress leader Dipika Pandey Singh emphasised the need for fresh faces in the cabinet, particularly highlighting the underrepresentation of women. As per PTI, Singh underscored, “Instead of adding more women faces, they have retained only one woman minister… How do you justify that?”

The dissenting voices have escalated their concerns to the party leadership, urging for a dialogue to address their grievances. Mandar Congress MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey emphasised, “We have made it very clear to KC Venugopal that we want discussion with senior leaders.”

Meanwhile, Congress state chief Rajesh Thakur assured that the issues raised by the legislators are being earnestly examined. Thakur affirmed, “The decision by the central leadership will be accepted by all. We are hopeful of resolving it very soon”, the report mentioned

The unfolding events in Jharkhand are closely monitored by opposition parties, with the BJP and the AJSU Party keenly observing the developments. With the BJP holding 26 seats in the assembly and the AJSU Party with three, any rift within the ruling alliance could potentially shift the state’s political landscape.