All India Congress Committee to hold meeting of Jharkhand leaders to discuss infighting

All India Congress Committee (AICC) has called a meeting of senior Jharkhand leaders to discuss reports about infighting and growing resentment against state party president, Ajoy Kumar for his decision to pitch Hemant Soren as a chief ministerial candidate for upcoming assembly polls.

Soren is Jharkhand Mukti Morcha`s (JMM), acting president. The meeting scheduled to take place on Saturday in the national capital will be attended by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and Congress general secretary in-charge of Jharkhand, RPN Singh. 

The main agenda of the meeting would be about the alliance as Congress leaders are not keen to announce the Chief Minister candidate before Jharkhand Assembly polls, which are due to be held by the end of this year.

Soren wants to be declared as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls in the state, however, seniors Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) leader Babu Lal Marandi have opposed the idea.

Yesterday, two factions of the state Congress unit owing allegiance respectively to former Union minister and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay as well as Ajoy Kumar were involved in a fight outside the party office.

The police had to intervene separate the two groups. Congress Jharkhand unit has been in the state of disarray since the party suffered a humiliating defeat in the 17th Lok Sabha elections. 

Taking the onus for its electoral defeat Congress` state party president Ajoy Kumar offered to resign from the party post.

The Congress had fought on seven seats in alliance with the JMM, RJD and JVM-P in the polls. The Congress won the Singhbhum seat and JMM won the Rajmahal seat.