Ranchi: At least 8 Jharkhand Congress MLAs on Saturday reach New Delhi, amid the strong resentment brewing among a section of Congress legislators in the state over induction of the four party MLAs as ministers again in the Champai Soren-led government. It is being said that as many as 12 Congress MLAs are reportedly disgruntled over the induction of the four MLAs.

Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal alias Anup Singh, while talking to news agency PTI in Ranchi, said, "We are travelling to Delhi. Rest will be reaching tomorrow. We will hold discussions with Congress leadership there. We want replacement of all the four. The 12 MLAs are together barring the four ministers and MLA Pradeep Yadav."

Congress MLAs to meet high command in Delhi

Earlier, the legislators went into a huddle at a Ranchi hotel after remaining unhappy with Congress' decision to give ministerial berths to Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh again. However, at the hotel, JMM's new minister Basant Soren, the youngest son of party supremo Shibu Soren, reached to persuade them to change their decision.

"There is no confusion. We are all united," Basant Soren said after meeting the MLAs.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and state Congress president Rajesh Thakur have already reached Delhi where they will meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

As many as 12 MLAs of the grand-old party have threatened to boycott the upcoming state assembly session from February 23 and head to Jaipur if the ministers are not replaced with new faces.

The JMM-led alliance in the state has 47 MLAs (JMM-29, Congress-17 and one RJD) in the 81-member assembly. 

(With inputs from PTI)