Jamshedpur: The newly nominated Jharkhand unit President of Janata Dal (United) Gopal Krishan Patar alias Raja Peter on Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the membership drive launched by the party in the state and served a 15-day ultimatum to party leaders to change it.
"I am not at all happy with the way the membership drive was launched by the party recently and want to correct it to strengthen the organization in Jharkhand", Patar said.
After discussing the issue with party leaders during the last couple of days, Patar told a press conference here that following his nomination as Party’s Jharkhand unit President, he had observed that several persons were convinced with the party’s policies and ideology but did not take the membership.
Patar, who was the minister of Excise and Disaster Management in the Arjun Munda-headed coalition government, said the number of people inducted in the party was irrelevant but it should be ensured that people willing to join the party should be sincere and hardworking men with clean image.
Patar said he had already directed the party leaders to induct people only when they were completely convinced with the party ideology even if it took sometime to convince them.
"The purpose is to prepare ourselves to contest in all the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand", he said.
Patar, however, clarified that the party high command was the authority to take a call about the number of seats the party would contest or on the issue of continuing alliance with BJP.
"My responsibility is to reorganize the party and cement our base in Jharkhand", he said.
To a query about the prevailing political situation, Patar observed that it would be good if any alternative government was formed in the state soon, otherwise immediate steps needed to be taken to pave way for fresh election.
President’s rule, which was currently in force in the state, was not an alternative to a popular government particularly when majority of the political party have already demanded fresh election, he said.
PTI
