Ranchi: Congress dissenters formulate strategy to save party in Jharkhand

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], December 19 : The Congress is facing a rebellion in Jharkhand as voices of dissent have increased against the state's top leadership.
Party's General Secretaries Alok Dubey and Dr Rajesh Gupta including a few leaders opened a front against Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur terming him an "incompetent leader".
They allege that Thakur is playing in the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party by driving their agenda of splitting the Congress party.
Dissenters allege that his leadership will degrade Congress's vote bank in the state and reduce the party's influence.
These leaders held a 'Congress Bachao' meeting in Ranchi on Monday to formulate a strategy to save the party against the alleged game plan by the BJP of splitting the party.
The leaders have allegedly accused Jharkhand party President Rajesh Thakur of hand-in-glove with the Opposition.
Alok Dubey who was recently made General Secretary of the Pradesh Committee accused Thakur of carrying the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Congress. He also said there is high dissatisfaction among dedicated party workers after being neglected in the Pradesh Committee and at district levels.
"RPN Singh, before joining BJP, had made such a person as president who is immature and has no merits. The present state president is carrying RPN and BJP's ideology. Its reflection was seen in the appointment of district presidents and in Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee...Congress workers are ashamed to call him (Rajesh Thakur) their president," Alok Dubey, the General Secretary of Jharkhand Congress said.
Dissatisfaction escalated after the appointment of district chiefs followed by the formation of the Pradesh Committee.
"This meeting is the outcome of the pain of Congress' true cadres. Of those who gave everything for the party. Today's leadership is of no use. It has no vision to strengthen the party. This is why we all have gathered here to form future strategy" another state's General Secretary Rajesh Gupta said.
According to the leaders attending the meeting, the party here is going through its worst period due to a lack of proper organisational symmetry.
"If this leadership (Rajesh Thakur) continues, it will definitely affect the party's position.So we are demanding that he should be dropped immediately and dedicated Congress workers should get a place in Pradesh Committee," Congress leader Lal Kishor Nath Shahdeo said.
However, slamming dissenters, Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha said that the party would take action against them.
"Those who are questioning Rajesh Thakur's leadership are incompetent. They are hiding themselves by raising their voices in such a manner. And some of these people have been expelled for anti-party activities in the past. In a democracy, everyone has the right to put forward their concerns but there is a right forum for this. Naturally, action will be taken against them who are trying to dent the party's image while being inside the party" Rakesh Sinha said.