UPA has weakened in Jharkhand, says Subodhkant Sahay

UPA has weakened in Jharkhand, says Subodhkant Sahay
Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi RANCHI Sunday, February 3, 2008

The UPA has no more remained united in Jharkhand. The alliance will think of its strategy after the result of Simaria by-election. Those criticising the Congress party and its decision to file its candidate will come to realise our present stand on the development issue of Koda's Government, once the result was published,"Subodhkant Sahay said this in an exclusive interview with The Pioneer. Sahay had come to Vikash Bhavan, Ranchi to donate an ambulance van to Ram Krishna mission TB Sanatorium, Tupudhana and sewing machines among the members of a self-help group.Speaking in the context of the Simaria by-election and the on going tussle in UPA, Sahay said that the by-election was not a sort of friendly contest as said by some of the UPA partners. He accepted that the Congress was trading alone in the State and hinted that the solidarity of UPA had shattered in Jharkhand. Taking about the strategy of the party after the result of the by-election he said that they would not hesitate to go alone in Jharkhand and said that the party would recover its strength sooner or later.Sahay was upset over the tirade of Lalu Prasad Yadav, challenging Ajay Maken and other State leaders of the Congress party on fielding its candidate in the by-election. "Lalu Prasad should not go berserk if the Congress fielded its candidate. Instead preaching us he should analyse his own acts in the past", Sahay said that the party would not cringe for a political space in the State from its UPA allies. He accepted that there was a lack of coordination among the UPA allies in deciding candidate for the by-election but nobody can blame the Congress for ditching its allies. It was RJD, which started this trend. The party had the natural claim over Simaria as it had successfully contested the election in the past. However, he did not mention the name of any leader but clued in that a section of leaders of UPA were busy in scripting humiliation of the party. Sahay accepted that the Congress party was trading alone in the State politics but the party was ready to follow ekla chalo re (go alone) rather to face humiliation.The much-hyped decision of the Congress to take a major decision after by- election has put the UPA allies on tenterhook. But, for Sahay, the by-election was not a benchmark or a time line to decide on the fate of the government. Yet, he did not decline that more or less the result of the by-election would have an over all impact on the state politics. However, he parried any possible regime change after by-election, but hinted that anybody who can bring development was welcomed. He denied that the party in general and Ajay Maken in particular were averse to Madhu Koda. "Koda is not an issue for us, we supported him to fulfil the aspiration of the people and to speed up the development but he we have asked Koda to show result" he said.But, the party does not seem to be satisfied with the performance and said that UPA allies minus Congress conspired to present a false progress report card to gain sympathy from the public and the Congress high command. The party has decided to make it an issue in the by- election, he said.