The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has convened a working committee and legislative body meeting on April 3, where party seniors will discuss strategy for Madhupur bypoll.
The working committee and legislative body meet will be attended by JMM executive president and chief minister Hemant Soren apart from other leaders. According to JMM sources, in the meeting party leaders will chalk out a strategy for giving momentum to campaigning.
The JMM has fielded the son of late Haji Hussain Ansari and state minority affairs minister Hafizul Hasan from Madhupur by poll. A JMM leader requesting anonymity said, “JMM leaders will focus on Madhupur by poll after April 3, the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Senior party leaders including some ministers will camp at Madhupur for ensuring victory of JMM candidate.”
JMM allies Congress too has prepared strategy for Madhupur seat. Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey, Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo and Rajesh Gupta ‘Chhotu’ have jointly issued a press statement saying that to ensure victory of UPA candidate Hafizul Hasan Ansari in Madhupur Assembly by-election, State President Rameshwar Oraon and Congress legislative party leader Alamgir Alam and other leaders will camp in Madhupur taking part in campaign. Congress spokespersons said that though the candidate is from JMM but Congress party is contesting elections.
Dubey said that this election is to remember and pay tribute to the late Haji Hussain Ansari, who laid the foundation for the development and communal harmony in the region in his 40-year political career in Madhupur.
Dubey claimed that on the other hand, there is BJP which had already suffered two defeats in Dumka and Bermo by-poll claiming that Grand Alliance will repeat the same story in Madhupur too.
Congress Shahdeo said that the last date for withdrawal of nominations is on April 3; thereafter election campaigning in Madhupur will gain momentum. He said that senior leaders from Congress including State Finance and Food Supply Minister Rameshwar Oraon, Legislature Party leader cum Rural Development Alamgir Alam, Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh and Health Minister Banna Gupta, MLAs, MPs and others will camp in Madhupur taking part in campaign.
Congress other spokesperson Rajesh Gupta said that the BJP has already accepted defeat in the election by inducting a person from other party and making him candidate in a hurry. Gupta said that with induction of Ganga Narayan Singh in BJP camp there is a lot of resentment within BJP and AJSU the party from which Singh switched sides joining BJP.
In Madhupur seven candidates are in fray including Ganga Narayan Singh (BJP), Hafizul Hasan (JMM), Ashok Kumar Thakur, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Uttam Yadav, Kishun Kumar Barthwal and Rajendra Kumar (all independents).