Why the Jharkhand job protest is becoming a headache for Congress
Congress delegation to meet CM Hemant Soren on Wednesday, urge him to address “genuine concerns” of protesting students.
Job aspirants in Ranchi have been holding an indefinite sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. (Express photo) As the Jantar Mantar-style protest by students and youth in Ranchi demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in state government recruitment examinations continues, the Congress, a key constituent of the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, is learnt to be unhappy with the efforts — or the perceived lack of them — by Chief Minister Hemant Soren to resolve the issue. The party is keen to be seen as standing with the protesting youth.
Sources in the Congress said a delegation of party leaders, led by AICC in-charge of Jharkhand K Raju and comprising the party’s ministers in the Jharkhand government, is scheduled to meet Soren on Wednesday to urge him to take steps to “address the genuine concerns” of the protesters.
Job aspirants in Ranchi have been holding an indefinite sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. The protesters, who were initially demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the conduct of examinations, escalated their agitation on Wednesday by demanding that the inquiry instead be conducted by an independent panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.
The developments come at a time when the Congress is trying to keep the spotlight on the BJP-led Centre over alleged paper leaks by focusing on the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The Congress and other Opposition parties have been disrupting Parliament, demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in the House and seeking his accountability for the police crackdown.
Job aspirants and students gather during a march to protest against the state government over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Tuesday. (PTI)
The Congress high command has so far remained publicly silent on the Jharkhand protest but is apprehensive that the state government’s handling of the agitation could politically hurt the party. Sources said the leadership has also asked national office-bearers of the Youth Congress and the NSUI to meet the protesters at the stadium and extend support to them.
“(Leader of the Opposition) Rahul Gandhi has been raising the issue of paper leaks and examination irregularities for some time now. He is set to address a student convention in Prayagraj on Saturday. So if we don’t support, or are not seen as supporting, the protest in Ranchi, the optics would go against the party,” a senior Congress leader said.
Breaking his silence on the issue, Soren said on Wednesday that his government was treating the concerns of the job aspirants with “utmost seriousness.”
“With close scrutiny and complete seriousness, decisions addressing their demands and queries will be announced at the appropriate time. I am confident that the protesters will be reassured,” he said.
Strained ties
Relations between the JMM and the Congress have been frosty since the run-up to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, when the Soren-led party decided to withdraw from the contest, alleging a “political conspiracy” by its allies, the Congress and RJD, to “deprive it of seats.”
Last month, Congress-JMM ties came under further strain over the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. The Congress “unilaterally” announced its candidate for one of the two seats that the INDIA bloc was in a position to win, despite the JMM’s insistence that it should contest both seats. The Congress refused to relent and went ahead with its nominee.
However, despite the alliance having the numbers, the Congress candidate lost following cross-voting by ruling alliance MLAs, triggering fresh unease between the two parties.
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