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| Rahul Gandhi and Pradeep KumarBalmuchu |
Ranchi; March 14: Congress national vice president Rahul Gandhi today held two scheduled meetings with senior leaders from Jharkhand, discussing organisational matters, including the appointment of a state party chief.
Shakeel Ahmed, the man in charge of the party’s Jharkhand affairs, however, claimed that the meeting had nothing to do with a possible change–over at top.
“In the morning Rahul summoned MPs from Odisha and Jharkhand. In the evening, we had a meeting with him,” Ahmed said, refusing to elaborate.
Among those who were present were Subodh Kant Sahay and state party chief Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu. Later, they all met Sonia Gandhi and greeted her on completing 15 years as Congress president.
Sources in the party insisted that there would be change at the top in the Jharkhand party within a month. “We have been given to understand that the appointment of a president will be made soon along with other states,” a senior state party leader said.
For Balmuchu. securing another extension appears to be a difficult task, given that Rahul is in the mood of picking “fresh” and “talented” faces from a pool of young leaders, specially those with a tribal background.
Rahul has a tough job at hand as he tries to break fresh ground in Jharkhand and reconsolidate the party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Sahay is ruled out as he a non-tribal. But, former Lohardaga MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat and first time MLA from Sisai Geetashree Oraon are said to be the front- runners for the post.
There exists a non-cohesive “third front” within the state Congress comprising young MLAs and leaders Oraon, Bhagat, Banna Gupta, Sarfaraz Ahmed and the likes, who consider themselves key flag-bearers of Rahul’s mission to revive the Jharkhand unit.
The group, opposed to the Sahay and Balmuchu’s hold over the state organisation, has been demanding a place as advisors, rather than a formal post as that could trigger a fresh bout of dissension.
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