The notification for the last leg of parliamentary elections in Jharkhand has been issued with one candidate filing nomination on the first day of the notification. The notification issued is for four parliamentary constituencies of Rajmahal, Dumka, Godda and Dhanbad scheduled to go to polls on April 24.
Rajmahal witnessed the first nomination among the constituencies of the last phase of lok Sabha elections, while there was no nomination for rest of the constituencies. The JVM (P) candidate for Rajmahal, Dr Anil Murmu filed nomination from the constituency.
Interestingly, the notification has shifted focus on Santhal pargana which is going to witness the most high-profile contest in parliamentary elections in Jharkhand this time. As per the notification, candidates can file nomination till April 5 followed by scrutiny of nominations while a candidate can withdraw candidacy till April 9.
For the entire election period the spotlight is likely to be more on Dumka where the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) patriarch Shibu Soren will be in the ring to save the lok Sabha seat against the JVM (P) Chief Babulal Marandi. Marandi has been lucky twice, in 1998 and 1999 General Elections, from Dumka however his triumph came under the banner of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in the united Bihar. On the other hand the aging JMM chief has been favourite of voters of Dumka for around six times beginning 1989 with the exception of brief lull in 1999 when the party had fielded Rupi Soren Kisku form the constituency against the JVM (P) Chief.
However, the sitting MP is facing another candidate, Sunil Soren, who will be facing the daunting task of defeating not only Soren but Marandi also. Notably, the BJP candidate had also contested previous General Election held in 2009 and lost by more than 18000 votes to the JMM chief.
Incidentally, as many as four candidates withdrew nomination on the last for pulling out of election process from the fifth phase of General Elections. At the end of the day around 106 candidates have remained in fray for the lok Sabha elections for six constituencies which also witnessed 10 rejections.