AJSU demands fresh election

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Passing political resolution against the continuation of the President’s Rule in Jharkhand, the AJSU has demanded a fresh Assembly election if an alternative Government is not formed.

Stating this during 25th foundation day of the party on Tuesday called Mahapanchyat, the AJSU chief Sudesh Mahato said that his party was not afraid of facing electorates. “President’s Rule cannot be an option in democracy…we opposed to the continuation of the President’s Rule for a longer duration,” Sudesh said this while addressing a motley crowd at Morhabadi Ground.

He also demanded fresh election if an alternative Government is not formed within a timeframe. However, he gave no sign whether his party will take an initiative to explore the possibility of a popular Government he also refrained from accusing any political party for the political mess in Jharkhand. It was left for second-in-command in the party Chandraprakash Chaudhary and others to accuse national parties — without giving them a name — for dishonouring popular mandate.

Yet, he dropped a cryptic note of his role as the peacemaker to save the coalition Government of Shibu Soren where he was the deputy Chief Minister.

But he reminded his party workers and audience, “Lack of an effective leadership is the root cause of the plight of Jharkhand,” and made claim for AJSU that can give effective leadership. He appealed the party workers to enhance leadership quality in them and said that the era of borrowed leadership must end for of the betterment of Jharkhand.

Though, it was a meeting to celebrate the foundation day of the party; it looked an election rally. Confident to increase tally in the coming elections party leaders projected Sudesh as the mascot of the party and Jharkhand and spoke loud about his achievements and dedication for development in his capacity as the Minister in the previous Governments.

So was Sudesh; busy collecting laurels from the crowd sitting on the right flank of the stage: women. “In the previous government I got less time, four months to perform. But I gave you more than what you had been fighting from the past 40 years—reservation in the Panchayat body. Instead 33 percent I gave you 50 percent reservation in the Panchayat body,” the election to which yet to be held.

In the political resolution the AJSU demanded the creation of greater Jharkhand comprising the parts of West Bengal and Orrisa. Among the regional parties of Jharkhand the AJSU became the first party to demand census on the basis of caste. Demanding separate column for backward classes and others the party said that the people of such categories fail to get their due share.

But the AJSU which so far trusted its electoral base among Mahato community has taken the cause Sarna code of the tribals of the State. “Tribals of Jharkhand follow Sarana religion. But due to absence of a separate column of Sarana in the census form; their religion is often misquoted,” political resolution reads.

The party also demanded the identification, rehabilitation and reservation for those who took part in separate Jharkhand movement asking the State Government to take necessary actions following the initiatives taken by Sudesh as the Minister in the previous NDA Government.