When just three more days are left for filing nomination for bypoll in lohardaga the Congress on Monday officially named its Jharkhand president Sukhdeo Bhagat as its candidate from the seat. The JPCC chief would file his papers on Tuesday. However the decision of the party came without expected and much needed support of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) that is willing to keep cards close to the chest till the last moment.
"We are trying and want that UPA names its candidate in the polls. Talks are in the progress for that. If it does not yield then the JMM can also go into the poll fray alone. We would finalise the issue by Tuesday evening or day after," said JMM's de facto chief Hemant Soren on Monday.
He also mentioned at the same time that his party was under "intense" pressure from its local cadres to contest the poll. "We are feeling the heat from our workers over there in lohardaga. But any decision would be taken based on ground reality. We believe that even Congress is willing to fight in coalition with us," Soren added when asked about progress made with Congress in this regard.
Bypoll for the vacant Assembly seat is slated to take place on December 14 for which November 26 is the last date for filing nominations. Move of the Opposition parties to come on a single platform against the BJP led NDA has already taken a jolt with Babulal Marandi headed JVM fielding Bandhu Tirkey from the seat who also filed his papers on Monday.
Congress nevertheless is hoping about some unity in the form of JMM's support for its incumbent State president who is into the fray for the fourth consecutive time and looking for a must win to salvage his and his party's political course for the future.
"The party has formally announced Sukhdeo Bhagat's name for lohardaga and he would be filing his nominations on Tuesday. We are looking forward to JMM's support as they do not have such stake over there. We are still in talks with the JMM leadership (over supporting Sukhdeo Bhagat) but unable to understand their lingering the matter. Perhaps they have resorted to pressure tactics and are doing political posturing," said Alok Kumar Dubey, State Congress general secretary.
It is when the party's national general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge BK Hariprasad had consulted Hemant Soren during his previous visit and top brass of the party has also been in touch with the JMM's. Also, even tacit support of the JMM may prove panacea for Bhagat, who has been losing previous two polls with wafer thin margins.
looking comfortable on the other hand is NDA whose candidate and wife of former lohardaga MlA Kamal Kishore Bhagat, Neeru Shanti Bhagat would file his nominations on Tuesday.