Jharkhand Congress leaders to follow poll star

RANCHI: Union minister Jairam Ramesh and state Congress in-charge B K Hariprasad will hold a marathon meeting with party leaders on Tuesday to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections.
Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) chief Sukhdeo Bhagat said strengthening the party in the state would top senior leaders’ priority list.
The meeting is seen as a crucial one in the wake of two elections (Lok Sabha and subsequently Assembly polls) next year.Senior party leaders have already been directed by Rahul Gandhi to kick-start preparations for elections in Jharkhand.
The senior Congress leaders are also likely to review development work taken up by Congress ministers in the state. “They will review the work being done by the JMM-led alliance government,” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
The Jharkhand government was formed in July this year by JMM with support of 13 Congress, five RJD and six independent MLAs.
The state unit of the Congress party has started preparations for the Lok Sabha election which is scheduled for next year.
The Congress will contest LS polls in Jharkhand in alliance with JMM. The former will contest 10 seats and JMM four. Though it has not been formally announced, the party is also likely to partner with RJD in LS polls in Jharkhand.
The state leaders will brief Ramesh and Hariprasad about the strength of the party in all the 14 parliamentary seats in the state.
The party, however, has not taken a decision on seats where the Congress will field its candidates.