Cong sends show cause notice to veterans, rebel candidates
DHANBAD: The Congress has adopted carrot and stick strategy in Dhanbad to quell party rebels against official nominee by sending a show cause notice to senior leaders.
Rattled by the rebellion of senior leader and All India Cong Committee (AICC) member Santosh Singh against official candidate in Jharia, Congress’ Jharkhand state deputy in-charge Umang Singhar first sent a show cause notice to him but state party president Rameswar Oraon has made him coordinator of poll campaign in Jamshedpur East seat.
Jamshedpur East seat keeps significance for Congress as chief minister Raghubar Das is contesting from the seat and party has fielded national spokesperson Gourav Vallabh against him.
Dhanbad district Congress executive president Ravindra Verma said that Santosh Singh is senior leader and party has given him major responsibility in VIP constituency.
“Santosh Singh has accepted the responsibility and would leave Jamshedpur tomorrow where the polls are due on December 7,” Ravindra Verma said.
Under the opposition alliance, the Congress has been given three seats- Jharia, Dhanbad and Baghmara- out of six in Dhanbad. Resentment is brewing in Congress as party has fielded new comers in Jharia (Purnima Singh) and Baghmara (former president of Janta Dal United Jaleswar Mahto) assembly seats.
AICC member Santosh Singh and state committee members Shamsher Alam were strong claimants of Jharia assembly seat. But they revolted as the party made Purnima Singh official nominee on Jharia seat. Purnima Singh is new entrant into party. Her husband, late Neeraj Singh, was the Congress candidate in 2014 assembly election.
After announcement of official nominees, Santosh Singh and Shamsher Alam both have held series of meetings with their supporters to contest on the seat. Having seen his activities, Jharkhand deputy in-charge Umang Singhar on Friday finally issued him a show cause notice to Santosh Singh, however, on Saturday evening state president Rameswar Oraon shot off letter to Santosh Singh awarding him coordinator post of poll campaign in VIP constituency East Jamshedpur. The sources said Shamsher Alam has also given poll assignment out of district.
Santosh Singh had also revolted against party official nominee in May Lok Sabha election when party had fielded parachute candidate ( KIrti Jha Azad Darbhaga sitting MP of BJP) from Dhabad. But party sent him out of state by making poll observer in Chhattisgarh.