As the Hemant Soren-led government of India heads into its first meeting in Jharkhand on Friday, it finds itself facing its first political test, around which the 56-seat coalition runs in the state.
On Thursday, tension arose over an alleged “leak” of a letter sent by the Congress leadership in Delhi to Chief Minister Soren on portfolio allocation to Congress ministers. A disgruntled Soren reportedly saw this as a challenge to his authority.
However, the final portfolio announced on Friday afternoon showed very few changes from the letter allegedly written by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.
While the Congress has not officially acknowledged the letter, sources said the party is investigating how it was leaked. A senior Congress leader said: “The letter seems to be genuine… we are trying to find out when and by whom it was leaked.”
A Congress source said: “Hemant father It was understood that privileged information such as who handled which department in the public domain was concerned.”
A leader of the Bharat Bloc comprising JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI(ML)L in Jharkhand also criticized the glaring error on the part of the Congress. “He (Soren) is the only person who has the right to decide which minister, whichever party, gets which department. His decision is final,’ said the leader.
A senior JMM leader made the same point: “Allotment of portfolios to his ministers is the chief minister’s prerogative and his alone.”
The letter written by Venugopal surfaced hours after the Soren ministry was sworn in (the chief minister was sworn in a few days ago) along with four Congress members. It said: “Dear Hemant Soren GI would like to inform you that Hon’ble Congress President has approved portfolio allocation for Indian National Congress Ministers, the details of which are given below. It was said to be for Soren’s “further necessary action”.
According to the letter, Congress MLA Radhakrishna Kishore from Chhatrapur will hold Finance, Planning and Development, Commercial Taxes, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Mahagama MLA Deepika Pande Singh will hold Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs Departments; Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari will be the Minister of Rural Development and Rural Affairs Department of Panchayati Raj. and Mandar MLA Shilpi Neha Tirki Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, and Disaster Management.
According to the official announcement on Friday, Kishore has been appointed as Minister of Finance, Commerce, Planning and Development and Parliamentary Affairs. Deepika Pandey has Rural Development, Rural Affairs and Panchayati Raj; Ansari has been given the responsibility of health, public distribution and disaster management. And Tirki gets agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperatives.
The portfolio which is not in the official announcement for Congress ministers but was mentioned in the letter is Medical Education and Family Welfare.
CM Soren himself holds ministries including Administrative Reforms, Home, Public Works and Vigilance.