In an embarrassment for the Congress party, a huge ruckus was witnessed during the meeting of party in-charge Bhakta Charan Das' with workers in Patna. The party workers were angry over the defeat of Congress in elections as well as ticket distribution.
In a video shared by ANI, the party workers can be seen shouting (using abusive language), raising questions over the loss in Bihar elections, that concluded in November last year. The workers seemed so agitated that nothing was audible while they were shouting except remarks like "Congress ke dalalo... Congress ke dalalo..."
The newly-appointed AICC Bihar in- charge Bhakt Charan Das was on Monday left mortified at the sight of squabbling functionaries of the state unit, upon his first visit after taking up the assignment.
The former union minister was interacting with the functionaries at Sadaqat Ashram, the BPCC headquarters. Video clips of the meeting had gone viral on social media in which local leaders can be seen hurling abuses and raising accusatory fingers at each other. Das, who was seated on the dais of the auditorium, besides top BPCC leaders, can be heard uttering into the mike "we have gathered here to share suggestions for the betterment of the party in the state. Please do not engage in personal attacks".
The Orissa-born leader, who told reporters that he saw Bihar as his "karmabhoomi" (work place), has replaced Shaktisinh Gohil the AICC in-charge for close to three years. Gohil recently requested the party high command to give him a "lighter" responsibility, citing his poor physical health after having been struck by COVID 19 a few months ago.
Das sought to exude confidence, saying the party will "do better" under his stewardship, having performed miserably in the recent assembly elections in which it fought 70 seats but won only 19, causing allies to accuse it of being the weak link in the Grand Alliance which gave a tough fight to the ruling NDA.
Das also sought to make light of claims by leaders like Bharat Singh, a former MLA, who had recently claimed that more than half of the party's legislators were willing to defect to Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U). "I can only say I refuse to acknowledge people like Bharat Singh as Congress leaders", the former union minister said.
(With inputs from PTI)
ALSO READ | Umesh Kushwaha is new Bihar JDU president
Latest India News