Cong veterans from Bihar meet in Delhi for state unit reshuffle

Ahead of the much-delayed reshuffle in the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), senior leaders of Bihar Congress on Friday met at the Delhi residence of former governor and party stalwart Nikhil Kumar, where they are believed to have discussed campaign to install a new BPCC president in place of Madan Mohan Jha who had offered to resign after the 2020 Assembly polls taking moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance

Ahead of the much-delayed reshuffle in the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), senior leaders of Bihar Congress on Friday met at the Delhi residence of former governor and party stalwart Nikhil Kumar, where they are believed to have discussed campaign to install a new BPCC president in place of Madan Mohan Jha who had offered to resign after the 2020 Assembly polls taking moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance.

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Among hose present were former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former BPCC chief Anil Sharma and former Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Ashok Ram.

Several state Congress leaders are said to be restive over plans to make Kutuma legislator Rajesh Ram as the state unit chief. AICC in-charge of Bihar, Bhakta Charan Das, is said to have suggested Rajesh Ram’s name for the top party post in the state.

When contacted, Anil Sharma refused to share details of what was discussed at the meeting.

However, one of the leaders present at the meeting said, “More would join hands to refurbish the state unit in a way that catapults the Congress as a force to reckon with in the state instead of being a pillion rider.”

Tagging Sharma’s tweet, Das replied, “He was happy to learn that the party seniors have expressed their serious concerns about its affairs of Bihar through this meeting.”

Earlier, some senior leaders of the state Congress had met AICC leaders in Delhi to scuttle the move to make Rajesh Ram the next party chief in Bihar.

Some other senior leaders, it is reliably learnt, are also planning to visit Delhi to meet AICC leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to rally for a “strong, energetic leader acceptable to all” as the next BPCC chief once the Punjab and Rajasthan issues were favourably resolved. “The party has lost its mass support by playing the second fiddle to regional parties. It’s time Congress focuses its attention on rebuilding the organization,” said a former MLA.

AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar, Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh, former governor Nikhil Kumar, former MLA Ashok Kumar, Bihar Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee chief and former MLA Amita Bhushan, former BPCC vice-president Pravin Kushwaha, working president Samir Kumar Singh and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra are said to be potential contenders for the state chief’s post.

Meanwhile, BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha said preparations were on for a statewide agitation from July 7 against exorbitant hikes in prices of essential commodities, including petroleum products. He said that the Centre had increased the price of petrol 29 times in a month. “Party workers would beat plates, take out marches and cycle rally as part of the protest against the Central government,” said Jha.