The Congress questioned the silence of AJSU party, an ally in the Raghubar Das government, over the demand for special status to Jharkhand despite months of protests during the previous UPA government.
“AJSU party President and former Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto had staged agitations in support of their demand for according a special status to the state last year,” AICC spokesman Ajoy Kumar said here.
“Why is he silent on the issue now when the NDA is in power at both the state and the Centre?” Kumar asked.
Taking on Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik-JVM), Kumar alleged that Babulal Marandi’s JVM was the ‘B team’ of the NDA and fielded former minister Bandhu Tirkey.
Kumar was here to campaign for PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat, who is the party’s candidate for Lohardaga (ST) seat, which fell vacant after AJSU party leader Kamal Kishore Bhagat lost his Assembly membership after being convicted in a 1993 case of attack on a doctor.
Bhagat’s wife Niru Shanti Bhagat is the AJSU party candidate.