The Congress described Sunday’s meeting between its national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren as a ‘courtesy call,’ even as the two leaders met a time when a dozen legislators of the party’s state unit have expressed ‘discontent’ with the recent cabinet expansion of the Soren government – which includes the Congress – over alleged exclusion of new faces from the cabinet.

Jharkhand is governed by a coalition of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Soren, who took office recently, is a senior JMM member, and succeeded arrested party leader Hemant Soren as chief minister.

“There was a change in government here (Jharkhand). Everyone is aware why it happened. Following the cabinet expansion, the CM wanted to meet the Congress president. It was a courtesy call,” Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Jharkhand, told the media.

The two politicians met at Kharge’s residence in the national capital. Both asserted that there was no threat to the coalition government.

“The disgruntled MLAs reaching Delhi is their party’s internal matter. I have nothing to say about that. There is no conflict between the JMM and Congress, and everything is absolutely fine,” the chief minister said.

Kharge, meanwhile, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share pictures of his meeting with the JMM leader.

“Our journey to achieve progressive, public welfare and social justice in Jharkhand will continue,” the grand old party’s chief posted on the social media platform.