Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to lead Congress's pre-poll rallies in Jharkhand

RANCHI: Congress will rope in Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to kick-start its public outreach programmes in poll-bound Jharkhand .


Jharkhand Congress president Rameshwar Oraon on Thursday said they have got in touch with the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee seeking Baghel's presence at a few of the five public meetings, which are to be held in five districts, in between October 15 and October 25.

"Chhattisgarh CM is being invited along with cabinet ministers from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. His schedule will be finalised shortly," Oraon told the TOI on the sidelines of 'Dussehra Milan Samaroh', which was organised for the party's leaders and workers at Congress's state headquarters on Thursday.

As per party sources, the Grand Old Party will hold public rallies in Latehar, Jamtara, Hatia, Bokaro and Chaibasa in between October 15 and October 25.

Notably, prominent political parties in Jharkhand, including BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), are on a whirlwind tour of all 81 assembly seats in the run-up to the elections. While chief minister Raghubar Das is set to resume the second phase of his Janashirvad Yatra in Kolhan division from today, the final leg of JMM's Badlao Yatra will begin in South Chotanagpur division before culminating in a grand public meeting in Ranchi on October 19.

The Congress, which is in a proposed alliance with JMM, JVM-P, RJD and Left parties, underwent a bitter infighting following its Lok Sabha debacle before a change of its state leadership in September.

Baghel's presence at the meetings will boost the morale of Congress workers who are going to polls, senior leaders here said. "Besides Baghel, a few senior leaders from New Delhi are also expected to attend. All senior leaders from Jharkhand will have to attend the public meetings," a member of the party's state election campaign committee said. Oraon and senior leaders will hold booth-level meetings with workers in JMM bastion of Santhal Pargana from Friday.