The Congress has decided to go it alone in the state assembly elections next month except for an electoral arrangement, if possible, with the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) led by former chief minister Babulal Marandi.
Positioning itself high on the probity scale with the image of the Manmohan Singh government to back its claim, the Congress has decided not to hitch itself with parties which have come under a cloud in the state and pitch itself as the only party that can give stability to Jharkhand.
Party general secretary in charge of Jharkhand, Keshava Rao, indicated as much when he said that the party cadre in the state was not in favour of any electoral tie-ups, though he maintained that the final call on alliances was yet to be taken by the party high command. ?Since the Congress is fighting against corruption and wants to give a stable government in Jharkhand, we would not like to join hands with anybody who is tainted. We will only seek those who are honest,? he told FE.
The party is presently holding talks with the JVM, the only party with a clean image in the state. Rao, however, did not bluntly reject calls by the LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan urging Congress president Sonia Gandhi to ensure that secular votes are not divided. ?I appeal to all secular forces to vote for the Congress,? he said.
Congress leaders concede that the move not to cobble a wider secular platform would give some advantage to the BJP. But they point out that the Congress image suffered in the last few years owing to the association with fringe players as well as tainted independents. The division of votes in the Lok Sabha election in May, in fact, paid rich dividend for the BJP. Rao, however, contended that the party was not going to go in for compromises now. ?Jharkhand has lost its moorings in the last ten years. Instability has become the hallmark of the state along with corruption and widespread neglect… Our attempt will be to have a stable government now in the state? he said.