The Congress Election Committee (CEC) on Monday announced Gopal Sahu as Congress candidate from Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. Congress general secretary and in-charge of CEC, Mukul Wasnik, on Monday announced the name of Sahu for Hazaribagh seat in New Delhi.

With the announcement of Sahu’s candidature, the party has announced the names of all seven candidates for Lok Sabha elections. The seven seats in State which the grand old party is contesting are Ranchi (Subodh Kant Sahay), Khunti (Kali Charan Munda), Lohardaga (Sukhdeo Bhagat), Dhanbad (Kriti Jha Azad), Singhbhum (Geeta Koda), Chatra (Manoj Kumar Yadav) and Hazaribag (Gopal Sahu).

The Congress, which is part of grand alliance in State, is contesting seven seats, while in rest seven seats Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is contesting on four seats, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha on two seats and RJD from Palamu.

However, the Congress and RJD are having a friendly fight at one seat as both the parties have put up candidate on Chatra seat.

Gopal Sahu is a senior Congressman and for past six years he is working as treasurer of State Congress. JPCC spokesperson, Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo said, “By fielding Gopal Sahu from Hazaribagh seat, the party has once again reposed the faith of its senior leaders. The Sahu family is traditionally Congress party supporter in State.”

Gopal Sahu, who hails from Lohardaga is younger brother of former Ranchi parliamentarian Shiv Prasad Sahu. Shiv Prasad Sahu had held the Ranchi seat twice in 1980 and 1984. Gopal Sahu’s younger brother Dhiraj Sahu is Congress Rajya Sabha member.

Gopal Sahu in 2005 for the first time contested the Assembly election against BJP candidate and present Urban Development Minister in Raghubar Das’ Cabinet CP Singh; however, he suffered defeat on the hands of Singh.

The Hazaribagh seat is likely to witness triangular contest as apart from Jayant Sinha and Congress’ Gopal Sahu former Hazaribagh MP Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta the Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate is also in poll fray. Mehta had represented the Hazaribagh seat twice in 1991and 2004. The Left party had been demanding Hazaribagh seat from grand alliance, but the Mahagathbandhan decided to keep away CPI from the alliance. Later, Mehta criticized Congress and BJP leadership for having a secret deal over the Hazaribagh seat.

The name of Gopal Sahu came as a surprise as earlier names of Saurabh Narayan Singh (former Hazaibag MLA) and Yogendra Sao (former minister and Barkagoan MLA) were doing the rounds.