Ranchi: The Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) has demanded for a common minimum programme and a coordination committee of all the alliance partners in the Jharkhand government “for better coordination in governance”.
Speaking to media persons here on Sunday after chairing the state RJD unit’s executive committee meeting, state party president Abhay Kumar Singh said, “We may have only one MLA in the state assembly but it must be kept in mind that it was owing to the concerted efforts of all the alliance partners, that BJP could be uprooted from Jharkhand. No one can ignore the important role played by our national president Lalu Prasad in forging the Congress-JMM-RJD alliance ahead of the 2019 assembly election in Jharkhand and every constituent should get its due share of responsibility.” He added, “We had nine MLAs at one time in Jharkhand and we have also gained prominence in Bihar so there is no denial of the fact that if the party workers start focusing on their organizatio
Ranchi: Governor Droupadi Murmu on Friday administered the oath of office and secrecy to Hafiz Ul Hasan, the eldest son of deceased JMM minister Haji Hussain Ansari at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan. Hasan is the 11th minister in chief minister Hemant Soren’s cabinet. He will hold the portfolios of tourism, arts and culture, youth affairs and sports and minorities affairs.
Since Hasan is not a member of the assembly, he must win from a seat within six months from taking oath to retain the post. He is likely to fight the bypoll, expected in April along with West Bengal assembly election, from the Madhupur constituency, which fell vacant following the death of his father. Haji, who held the charge of minority affairs, died in October last year from post-recovery complications after getting infected by Covid-19. The decision to induct Hasan in the cabinet was taken in a sudden turn of events taken on Thursday night.
Ranchi: JMM’s smart and silent move to suddenly announce an expansion of the cabinet and inducting Hafiz Ul Hasan, son of slain JMM minister Haji Hussain Ansari, is like hitting two birds with one stone. On one hand it has silenced the alliance partners who were staking claim over the Madhupur assembly seat, while on the other, it has emboldened the prospects of Hasan, a debutant in electoral politics.
Things started getting murkier after RJD suddenly staked claim over the Madhupur seat, even though the party could not perform well in the previous elections. Madhupur has been juggling between BJP and JMM since the formation of Jharkhand, although JMM has been stronger with Haji winning the seat on four occasions 1995, 2000, 2009 and 2019. BJP’s Raj Paliwar managed to win the seat twice in 2005 and 2009.