In a damage control exercise, Chief Minister Hemant Soren is said to have agreed to offer late Sudhir Mahto’s widow Savita Mahto post of chairperson in a board/corporation.
The cancellation of the ticket for a Rajya Sabha seat offered to Savita in the last minute under pressure of RJD’s lalu Prasad and the Congress central leadership has put the JMM on the boil with at least three MlAs — Mathura Mahto, Jagannath Mahto and Vidyut Baran Mahto — sending their resignation from the Assembly to Guruji.
Top sources in the Government confirmed that Hemant Soren has been updated in this regard and soon a decision would be taken after clearing some formalities. “The matter has been discussed and he (CM) has agreed for a post for her,” said an official.
Confirming the development Minister in the Hemant Soren Cabinet Jai Prakash Bhai Patel told The Pioneer, “Sudhir Mahto was not just a party leader but like a family member of the JMM. The party had decided to send Savita Mahto to the Rajya Sabha but under the coalition dharma and to avoid imposition of President’s Rule in the State we had to backtrack. I have talked to the CM on Wednesday about this and in the presence of Rajendra Singh and Annapurna Devi he has given his consent to appoint her as head of a Board or Corporation with immediate effect.”
The party had made Savita as nominee for the Upper House but forced to eat crow on the last day of filing nominations as Congress backed RJD’s Premchand Gupta just to stop the JMM’s candidate. In the process, Congress even abandoned Alamgir Alam who had already purchased nomination papers on PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat’s behest.
Though, the JMM’s insiders see this as manifestation of tug of war between the tribal and OBC, especially Kurmi leaders in the party. “You see no one except Mahto leaders raised the matter when she was denied ticket after being announced formally. Her name featured first time only when Mathura Mahto, Jagannath Mahto and Vidyut Baran Mahto proposed it,” said a party leader.
Present in the legislative body meeting called to decide candidate on January 27, the leader revealed that there were so many names for the candidature and no consensus was looking at sight when Savita’s name was coined by Jagannath Mahto. As the issue was sentimental and also capable to pushing Congress and RJD besides being politically dividend no one (read tribal legislators present) dared to oppose it. But when the move of the JMM backfired only those leaders came out in open and registered a tough protest with party leadership and are eying to take the “fight” to the next level.
“I have put in my papers and would meet Guruji again in a couple of days. There is no question of compensation as a humiliation cannot be compensated. Our party took a U-turn after taking the decision. Now they are talking about KD Singh’s seat for Rajya Sabha! Why the said seat could not have been given to the RJD,” said Mathura Mahto and added that besides the two others no was in their contact on the issue. The matter has snowballed and various organisations representing OBCs in the State have taken in up aggressively.
Moreover the tribal leaders of the party are lamenting without giving much air to it. “We are feeling bad. JMM would not have done it to save the Government. She might be compensated with KD Singh’s Rajya Sabha seat falling vacant. It is up to the CM,” said JMM legislator Poulus Surin.
