State Cong gears up for ‘friendly fight’ for LS

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, November 10, 2008

As the next Lok Sabha election is approaching near, the Jharkhand Congress has started gearing up to keep its tally in the State intact. The party has decided to start a number of programmes to strengthen grassroots and to give a boost to poll campaign.

However, it might not shy away from friendly contest in some of the parliamentary constituencies in Jharkhand. This was revealed during the State-level meeting of district presidents of the party in the State capital on Sunday

Trying to make its political presence felt in the State, the Congress decided to revive its old programme; “workers rally” in the different divisions of the State that it had undertaken to expose the corruption during the regime of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda. Similar rallies would be organised in Palamu division on December 6-7 to showcase the achievements of the UPA Government

Emerging out of the meeting, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Balmucchu, and AICC secretary and Congress State incharge Abdul Mannan announced a number of programmes such as “Rajiv Gandhi Panchyati Raj Sangathan” scheduled to be held on November 29 that would be attended by Union Minister for Panchyati Raj Manishankar Aiyar. Through this programme, the party hopes it would be able to generate awareness among the mass about the importance of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA).

It is almost decided, NREGA becoming the major poll plank of the party in the next general election. In the meeting, it was decided to form members’ committees at district and block levels for spreading the message that the institution of the panchayati raj in Jharkhand is must for effective and corruption-free implementation of NREGA.

It further announced a string of activities such as the formation of booth committees by the end of November 15. The regular meeting of such booth committees would start from November 19 coinciding the birthday of late Indira Gandhi. The membership drive is also on the top of party agenda.

The consensus that emerged after the meeting was: It would like to have a friendly contest in some of the parliamentary constituencies here in the State if other UPA allies including RJD and JMM do not entertain its claim over some of the constituencies such as Chatra, Hazaribagh and Koderma, which party wants to contest, besides retaining such parliamentary constituencies which it won last time.

Balmucchu clarified the stand of the party: "We have a natural claim over these seats and the party would go to any extent to further the tally of the UPA in the State."

For Chatra that is represented by the RJD, the Congress claims to be the only party from UPA clan that can give NDA a befitting reply in the election.

The party would discuss its claim with other UPA allies and "It would be premature to come to any conclusion, the top leaders of the UPA are still to undertake any such meeting for seat sharing," he added.

He answered tactically when he was asked whether the Congress would leave its claim over some of the constituencies if other UPA allies made similar ‘friendly claims’. “We would sit together and discuss our relative strength and weakness… and would come to consensus,” he remarked. It should be noted that RJD made a similar claim over Godda, the moment Congress claimed Chatra.