'Alliance strong, no threat to Jharkhand Coalition Govt': Champai Soren after 'courtesy' meeting with Kharge
After meeting Kharge, Champai Soren told reporters that it was a “courtesy meeting” with the Congress leader after he took charge as chief minister.
Jharkhand News: Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Sunday debunked reports of a rumored rift within the JMM-led alliance in the state, asserting that the grouping is 'strong' and there is no threat to the coalition government.
Soren traveled to New Delhi on Sunday to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, amid reports that resentment was brewing among a section of Congress lawmakers over the appointment of four JMM MLAs as ministers.
After meeting Kharge, Champai Soren told reporters that it was a “courtesy meeting” with the Congress leader after he took charge as chief minister.
#WATCH | Delhi: After meeting Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren says, “After forming the government, I came to Delhi for the first time and it was a courtesy meeting.
When asked about the Congress MLAs, he says, “…They are the… pic.twitter.com/VBOlduez7C
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2024
Asked about reports that Congress MLAs were unhappy with the recent cabinet formation, Soren dismissed it as an “internal matter” of the Congress.
'Congress, JMM resolutely in battle against BJP'
Meanwhile, Kharge said after the meeting that the Jharkhand Congress and Champai Soren are resolute in their fight against the BJP-led Centre.
“Today, along with Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Champai Soren ji and Jharkhand Congress leaders, we once again decided to fight the dictatorial government (center),” Kharge wrote on X.
“We will continue our journey of progressivism, public welfare and social justice in Jharkhand,” he said.
Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, AICC general secretary and state in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Pranav Jha, among others, were present during Soren's meeting with Kharge.
VIDEO | This is what Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said when asked about Jharkhand CM Champai Soren's meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“There was a change of government (in Jharkhand). Everyone is aware of why this happened. After the cabinet expansion, the CM… pic.twitter.com/UvPWcLwHEN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2024
When Mir was asked about the meeting, he also told reporters that it was a courtesy visit.
Asked about the section of disgruntled Congress MLAs in Delhi, Mir said they did not have any problem with the government but had some specific issues, some of them related to their respective constituencies, which they would raise with the party leadership and find out.
Alliance is 'strong'
Earlier in the morning, Soren said: “There is no problem, our alliance is strong.”
When asked about disgruntled Congress MLAs reaching Delhi, he had told reporters, “This is an internal issue of Congress, they will resolve it. I have nothing to say about that. There is no conflict between the JMM and the Congress, and everything is absolutely fine.”
As many as 12 Congress MLAs have threatened to boycott the upcoming February 23 state assembly and go to Jaipur if the ministers are not replaced by new faces.
The JMM-led alliance in the state has 47 MLAs (JMM-29, Congress-17 and one RJD) in the 81-member assembly.
Unhappy with Congress' decision to give ministerial seats again to Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, the disgruntled section of Congress lawmakers on Saturday met at a Ranchi hotel, where JMM's new minister Basant Soren, the youngest son of party supremo Shibu Soren, reached out to convince them to change their decision.
“There is no confusion… we are all united,” Basant Soren said after meeting the MLAs.
(With PTI inputs)