PATNA
Will Rajesh Ram, MLA from Kutumba in Aurangabad, emerge as a dark horse in the race for new president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC)?
Party insiders say All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar, Bhakta Charan Das, after his recent visit to Patna, has recommended Ram, who is also chairman of the BPCC’s SC/ST cell, as replacement to Madan Mohan Jha.
Jha, who has been appointed as the BPCC chief in 2017 in place of Ashok Choudhary, had put in his papers shortly after the 2020 assembly polls in Bihar in which Congress fared poorly.
Senior BPCC leaders claimed that apart from proposing Ram’s name, Das has also recommended names of seven leaders, Kumar Ashish, Pravin Singh Kushwaha, former Riga MLA Amit Kumar Tunna, former MLA Manoj Kumar Singh, former MLA and state Mahila Congress president Amita Bhushan, AICC secretary Chandan Yadav and Shakillur Rahman as working presidents in the new committee, which is likely to be announced shortly.
Irked by the recommendations, senior BPCC leader Kishore Kumar Jha said Das lacked maturity needed to understand Bihar politics. He said he had spoken to Das and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and urged them to be politically practical for constitution of the new committee in Bihar if the party wanted to regain its glory ahead of 2024 elections. “It is do or die like situation the party in Bihar and the party high command should take the decision after proper thinking,” said Jha, adding that he would try to meet Rahul Gandhi soon.
Meanwhile, former BPCC chief Anil Kumar Sharma took to Twitter to draw the party high command’s attention towards proposed reconstitution of the AICC and sought judicious representation as per caste combination and regional balance. In a tweet, Sharma said that of the six nominated members in the AICC from Bihar, are four Muslims and two Yadavs. Of the four Muslims, three hail from Katihar. Only Seemanchal and Kosi regions were represented, while core of the party’s base has been marginalized, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, former BPCC chief Anil Kumar Sharma took to Twitter to draw the party high command’s attention towards proposed reconstitution of the AICC and sought judicious representation as per caste combination and regional balance. In a tweet, Sharma said that of the six nominated members in the AICC from Bihar, are four Muslims and two Yadavs. Of the four Muslims, three hail from Katihar. Only Seemanchal and Kosi regions were represented, while core of the party’s base has been marginalized, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Das could not be contacted despite several attempts.