Congress to demand deputy CM post in Jharkhand? Party in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir responds

NEW DELHI: Congress in Jharkhand has decided to leave the nomination of its Legislature Party leader in the state assembly to its central leadership in New Delhi. This announcement came on Sunday following the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Ranchi after the electoral victory of the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alliance.

"Today, a meeting of the CLP was convened. The party unanimously passed a resolution to authorise the high command to nominate the legislature party leader. The resolution will be sent to the party leadership," said Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Congress general secretary and the party's in-charge for Jharkhand.

He added that the party’s high command would decide the CLP leader, considering factors such as seniority, legislative experience, and other parameters.

Mir, however, sidestepped questions about whether the Congress would demand the deputy chief minister’s position. "Our immediate priority is to elect the leader of the alliance. Once the Leader of the House is chosen, an authorised delegation will engage with coalition leaders to discuss further matters, including ministerial berths," he said.

The coalition, comprising the JMM, Congress, and other allies, secured 56 of the 81 seats in the assembly, ensuring a second consecutive term. Among these, the Congress won 16 seats, while the BJP-led NDA managed just 24.

Simultaneously, Hemant Soren, executive president of the JMM, chaired a meeting of the alliance partners to finalise the leader of the coalition INDIA bloc in Jharkhand. Soren, who retained his Barhait seat with a commanding victory over BJP candidate Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes, has sought an audience with the governor to stake a claim for government formation.

Amidst the alliance's triumph, speculation is rife about Congress’s potential demand for the deputy chief minister’s position.