Crisis For Champai Soren: Congress MLAs Register Protest Over Cabinet Reshuffle

Ranchi: Crisis seems to be growing for the newly sworned-in chief minister of Jharkhand as MLAs from both the parties of the ruling coalition-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Congress have opposed the cabinet reshuffle. 

As the eight ministers took oath in the new Champai Soren cabinet on Friday, February 16, majority of the Congress MLAs expressed discontent with the expansion that allegedly excluded new faces which was their demand. While  Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Baidyanath Ram alleged that he denied the ministerial berth due to Congress' pressure as he threatened to contest independently in the next elections. 

Basant Soren, JMM supremo Shibu Soren’s youngest son, and seven others on Friday took oath as ministers in Jharkhand’s Champai Soren-led government.

Infighting within Congress in Jharkhand 

Internal bickering in Congress also surfaced soon after the allocation of portfolios to ministers. 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, too. 

A group of 12 Congress leaders have written to the state party president Rajesh Thakur and lodged their protest against “repetition of ministers from the party’s quota” in the new cabinet.

Protesting over the same, Congress MLA Dipika Singh claimed that they presented their thoughts before the cabinet expansion happened. "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," Dipika Singh said. 

“Attending the oath ceremony does not mean that we have forgotten our demands. We have shared our concern with our PCC president through a letter,” said MLA Anup Singh. 

JMM MLA Claims Minister Berth Denied Due To Congress' Pressure 

 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Baidyanath Ram, who was allegedly dropped from the list of ministers at the eleventh hour, said he would not tolerate "this insult” and contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming assembly polls if required.

“Everything was finalised and my name featured in the ministers’ list. But, at the last moment, my name was dropped. It is an insult. I will not tolerate it,” Ram asserted.