Why are Jharkhand Congress MLAs upset with ruling JMM?

Jharkhand Congress MLAs Amba Prasad, Dipika Pandey Singh and others during a meeting before leaving for New Delhi.

A section of Congress leaders in Jharkhand are displeased with the Champai Soren-led JMM government over the induction of four MLAs as ministers. As many as 12 MLAs of the party have threatened the Champai Soren government of boycotting the Jharkhand assembly session if these ministers are not replaced by new faces. Eight of these 12 MLAs reached Delhi on Saturday evening to lodge their protest before the party’s high command.

The JMM-led alliance in the state has 47 MLAs (29 MLAs of JMM, 17 of Congress and one of RJD) in the 81-member assembly.

READ | 12 Congress MLAs ‘unhappy’ with new Jharkhand cabinet: ‘They don’t show sincerity’

What are the concerns raised by the MLAs?

• The disgruntled MLAs expressed their unhappiness over Congress’ decision to give ministerial berths to MLAs Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh.
• The MLAs are demanding a minister from each division of the state to cover all the five divisions, reported PTI. The five divisions in the state are: Palamu division (3 districts), North Chotanagpur division (7 districts), South Chotanagpur division (5 districts), Kolhan division (3 districts) and Santhal Pargana division (6 districts).
• The MLAs are also demanding implementation of the ‘one person, one post’ rule made by Rahul Gandhi.
• MLA Kumar Jaimangal from the Bermo assembly constituency said the MLAs would boycott the budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly and head to Jaipur if the party failed to address their concerns. “The Congress has 17 MLAs and the JMM (29). The JMM has already taken the chief minister and the speaker’s posts. They have six ministerial berths and we want the remaining one. We are not compromising on that. In case Alamgir Alam is retained, he should quit the post of the Congress legislature party leader,” PTI quoted Jaimangal.
• The Bermo MLA also said that the group had already handed over a signed letter to the party chief on the matter.
• The Congress MLAs opposed the granting of a ministerial berth to Congress’ Banna Gupta, citing a recent controversy surrounding him.

Meanwhile, speaking on granting ministerial berths to the MLAs, senior Congress leader and Mahagama MLA Dipika Pandey Singh told PTI: “During the past four years, we had lots of disapproval and disappointments on the quota given to us…Since there was a sudden opportunity and a new cabinet was being formed under Champai Soren, everyone was hopeful that there will be a reshuffle.”

However, Congress state chief Rajesh Thakur told PTI that the issues flagged by the 12 Congress legislators are being looked into.

With inputs from PTI

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