By Manoj Pathak

Patna, Feb 3 (IANS): After the dismal performance of the Congress in the last Bihar Assembly elections, the party's high command may have entrusted the responsibility of the party's Bihar in-charge to Bhakta Charan Das, but he is facing the anger of the party workers against the state leadership.

At present, Bhakt Charan Das is on a tour of various districts in the state but due to party factionalism in many districts he had to face brickbats.

When Das and party State President Madan Mohan Jha reached Buxar and started a meeting with Congress workers, the workers of two factions within the party clashed with each other.

Madan Mohan Jha however, said there is no major fight in the party. If someone in the party faces any kind of trouble, then they are free to voice their concerns in a peaceful manner, Jha added.

There was factionalism in the party even during Das's visit to Gopalganj, when there was a ruckus during the party meeting and two groups within the party came face-to-face with one another. The allegations by party workers being sidelined by the Congress leaders, including not giving tickets to the grassroot party workers in the recent Bihar state Assembly elections, were levelled in front of the party state President and party state in-charge.

The Congress leaders said the turncoat leaders from other parties getting tickets were forcibly imposed on them in the state Assembly elections and at the same time, the party candidates also accused the party workers of not supporting them during the recent elections. There was a lot of uproar in the meeting due to accusations and counter-allegations levelled from both sides.

In Kaimur district, too, the condition of the Congress was exposed in front of the party's Bihar in-charge when the party workers here created a ruckus and asked the party high command to change the leaders of the state unit Congress.

Since the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress workers have been vocal in their protest against the veteran leaders of Bihar Congress. Many leaders are facing allegations of selling poll tickets.

Congress leader and former state Youth Congress President Lalan Kumar says that Congress is a big party and discontent brewing among some people is not a big deal. But there is a way of launching protests by which the discipline in the party should never be disturbed. He said the Congress State President Madan Mohan Jha has also worked to strengthen the party.

He has also demanded from the party state in-charge to take strict action against those workers who violate discipline. He even said the party state in-charge recommends taking action, but no action is being taken.

Congress sources say that even the Congress Bihar in-charge is not happy with the party's state leadership. In such a situation, the possibility of a reshuffle is being expected in the party after the party in-charge returns to Delhi after visiting the districts in Bihar.