Bickering had started a week after state office-bearers announced a plan to rebuild the party’s organisational strength.
NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand Congress has recently been on the boil over the appointment of 24 district presidents. The bickering, as claimed by Congress leaders, was the result of too much democracy in the state. The dissenting leaders claimed there was no representation of Muslims in the appointments. However, the party has steadied its ship again by taking corrective decisions.
The bickering in Jharkhand Congress had emerged a week after various state office-bearers announced a plan to rebuild the organisational strength of the party.
Later, 24 district presidents, 11 vice-presidents, 35 general secretaries and 82 secretaries were also appointed.
However, a faction within the Congress state unit opened a front against state president Rajesh Thakur and sought his removal from the post.
Subsequently, the party has corrected its move now by replacing two districts presidents with Muslim candidates.
A senior leader in the state said, “Those people who were interested in positions for the last six years could not be included in it. It happens as there were many people who had worked, but all of them could not be adjusted.”
A section of party leaders also claim that caste is an important factor and tribals and Muslims are a major vote bank of the party in the state.
“If they are not adequately represented, it will have a reaction from a section of leaders,” a former MP in the state said.
Jharkhand state unit president, Rajesh Thakur, said, “Whenever there is a change, every person has his perspective, and everybody sees things according to his vision, and then after the appointments were made, there did seem some loopholes in the decision-making and we corrected them. If all the mistakes are settled within 15 days, then we can’t call it a big mistake. And when the mistakes are corrected, then there is always a good result that follows.”
Responding to various Congress leaders’ claim that the state president (Rajesh Thakur) does not have enough grip on the party and hence such disorder is expected, he said, “There is a possibility that for some time, some people could be against me, but till they are against me it is okay; there is democracy in the party and every person has a freedom to speak. But when the party gets affected, then we should take action. And the discipline committee will take a correct decision. If anywhere I am being targeted, my response will not be reactive. Whatever the discipline committee decides, we will follow that.”
He further added, “The committee had given show cause notice to some six people and there are some people who have responded and their response will be assessed and then a decision will be taken.”