Jharkhand: A dozen Congress MLAs in Jharkhand have expressed their discontent with the expansion of the Champai Soren cabinet, which saw the swearing-in of eight ministers. The dissatisfaction stems from the alleged exclusion of new faces from the cabinet, contrary to the demands put forth by certain Congress legislators.
Congress legislator Amba Prasad, the youngest MLA in the Jharkhand assembly, voiced the grievances alleging prolonged neglect faced by their constituencies.
“Our 12 MLAs have stated the dissatisfaction we have been facing in the state for a long time. The long pending works (relating to constituencies of Congress MLAs) have remained pending. They (Congress ministers in the state cabinet) think that they are not responsible for the party organisation, they are also not responsive. They don’t show sincerity towards many issues raised,” Prasad told ANI.
She further noted the failure of the party leadership to address the issue effectively despite prior communication.
“This has been communicated to them (party leadership). Several statements were made (by party leadership) that young people will be given opportunities, but in action, it is not happening in the state and we have communicated this to them (party leadership),” she added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh highlighted the party’s plea for the inclusion of fresh faces in the cabinet reshuffle.
“Our demand was that if the new government was being formed and the cabinet was being reshuffled, then new faces should have been given a chance,” Singh said.
Four Congress leaders — Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, who were a part of the previous Hemant Soren cabinet — were included in the Champai Soren cabinet.
A group of Congress MLAs met its Jharkhand chief Rajesh Thakur and lodged their protest against “repetition of ministers from the party’s quota” in the new cabinet.
Anup Singh, another Congress MLA, affirmed that the concerns of the dissatisfied legislators had been formally communicated to the Pradesh Congress Committee president through a collective letter.
“Our group of 12 MLAs remains steadfast in our demand for representation and recognition within the party,” Singh said.
In response to the brewing discontent, state unit chief Rajesh Thakur assured that the matter would be deliberated upon internally.
“The sentiments of our MLAs were expressed well before the oath-taking ceremony. We acknowledge their concerns and are committed to addressing them through dialogue and consultation,” Thakur affirmed.
When asked about the grievances voiced by several MLAs, state health minister Banna Gupta said, “As a party, it is our responsibility to heed the grievances of our members and engage in constructive discussions. We are a cohesive family, and any issues raised will be resolved through mutual understanding.”
