Jharkhand: JMM, Congress MLAs upset over cabinet snub, portfolios

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

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.

“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.

“Under pressure from the central leadership of Congress, my name was removed,” he alleged.

Ram also claimed that Chief Minister Champai Soren assured him that he would resolve the matter within two days.

“I may contest the assembly polls as an independent candidate if need be,” the Latehar MLA added.

Meanwhile, internal bickering in Congress also surfaced soon after the allocation of portfolios to ministers.

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.

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.

“We wanted an opportunity this time,” party MLA Deepika Pandey Singh said.

Congress legislator Jaimangal Singh said the group has handed over a letter signed by 12 MLAs to the party chief over the matter.

“The MLAs expressed their grievances… I will convey the same to the party high-command,” Thakur said.