The Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance comprising Congress, JMM, JVM, RJD and the Left in the State has to pass through some testing times ahead of the main battles, i.e. Lok Sabha and Assembly polls due next year.
Coming together in the name of anti-BJP bloc it had a readymade opportunity in the form of Kolebira Assembly bypoll but it seems the parties have let it go.
Both the major components of the grand alliance- JMM and Congress- are jostling to get the seat for their candidate and seek support from the rest to secure win in the bypoll without even looking at Menon Ekka.
The wife of unseated three-time MLA Enosh Ekka ideally could have been the first candidate of the grand alliance in the State with better chances to win it, admit leaders from both the parties.
“She could have been a good candidate to support to but it was perceived within the party leadership that tainted trail of Enosh Ekka could prove costly for us in future.
He is named in several corruption cases and very recently got convicted in a murder case. His induction could have put too many questions about integrity before the grand alliance even before it begins its journey,” said a senior leader of the Congress party close to PCC chief Ajoy Kumar.
Similar are the sentiments into the JMM which is leading the grand alliance eyeing for the next Assembly polls with Hemant Soren as leader of the club.
“There were proposals to induct the Jharkhand Party candidate into the JMM but we chose against it. We have strong presence over there as would contest the seat with support of likeminded parties,” said JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya.
Coalition partners are also of the view that bringing in the Jharkhand Party onto its bandwagon would prove futile as far as its future is concerned.
“There is no influence of Enosh Ekka other than Kolebira. What is the point to induct him into the grand alliance for just a seat and provide him the room to bargain for more from already tight space we have in the State in terms of seal sharing,” explained the Congress leader.
The Congress at the same time is in no mood to give JMM a walkover at Kolibera either.
“Looking at history of the constituency we have had our candidates contesting from Kolibera. Names like Theodore Kido Viklash Kongadi are prominent names.
Our senior leader Devendranath Champia had also visited the constituency and submitted a report about the bypoll,” said he.
Kolebira is to go for bypoll on December 20 and result would be declared on December 23.
Sources in the Congress informed that the party leaderships of the JMM and Congress would finalise the matter in a week time where the PCC chief would press hard to get the upper hand.
“We have good support base in Simdega, Gumla, Latehar belt which the JMM does not. Already we have accepted the leadership of Hemant Soren but it does not mean that all the space would go to them.
Even if they get their winning seats and where they have fared second during last election the number would not go beyond 32-33 in Jharkhand,” said the PCC leader.