As many as five candidates in the first two lists of 17 candidates released by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for the Assembly elections here are women – a decision that the party leaders see as evidence to JMM’s agenda of empowering women and encouraging their participation in active politics.
Former Chairperson of Jharkhand State Women’s Commission, Mahua Maji, who will contest Ranchi constituency with a JMM ticket for the second time, said that the party has always encouraged women to take up active politics and planned policies for their empowerment.
“I contested the 2014 elections when I was the chairperson of the Women’s Commission here. At that time too we wanted to work for women empowerment. I am sure that our list of candidates will have the highest women participation,” she said.
The list released by JMM on Thursday late night also includes the names of sitting Silli Legislator Seema Mahto, who won the 2018 by-elections after her husband and then Silli Legislator Amit Mahto was sent to jail for assaulting a public servant. Besides, JMM has fielded Sabita Mahto from Ichagarh, Babita Mahto from Gomia and Joba Manjhi from Manoharpur – all woman candidates.
The JMM’s list also carries names of some veteran leaders like sitting Saraikela Legislator Champai Soren and Chaibasa Legislator Deepak Birua. The party has fielded sitting MLA Vikas Munda from Tamar.
Munda, son of assassinated former Minister Ramesh Singh Munda, recently quit AJSU Party and joined the JMM. He is likely to contest against former Maoist Kundan Pahan, who faces charges of assassinating Vikas’ father, and has showed interest in contesting from Tamar.
The party has also announced names of Sameer Mohanty from Baharagora, Sanjeev Sardar from Potka, Jigga Susaran Horo from Sisai and Ramdas Soren from Ghatsila.
Sitting Baharagora Legislator Kunal Sarangi won with a JMM ticket in 2014, and moved to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fold before the 2019 polls were announced. He will contest the seat with a BJP ticket this time.
The JMM will field candidates for 43 Assembly segments here, as per the seat sharing equation in the Mahagathbandhan. The other two allies – Congress party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)—will field candidates for 31 and seven seats respectively. The Congress party has already announced its candidates for 25 of 31 seats, while the RJD has announced the names of five candidates so far. JMM still has to announce its candidates for 25 more constituencies in Jharkhand.
JMM is the second largest party in the 81-member State Assembly.
It is the toughest competitor for the BJP here and the Mahagathbandhan has unanimously decided to make JMM’s Executive President Hemant Soren the Chief Ministerial face of UPA here.