The JMM has decided not to field its candidate in the lohardaga by-poll slated for December 14. However, the party did not clarify whom it would support in the intensely fought election for the Assembly seat.
After keeping suspense for two days, former Chief Minister Hemant Soren made his party’s stand clear on Wednesday. “After discussing all the issues and getting directions from Guruji (JMM president Shibu Soren) we have decided not to field our candidate at lohardaga. The party felt that secular votes would get divided by our putting up a candidate that would benefit the communal forces,” said Soren.
He, however, maintained suspense and added that the name of the candidate to get JMM’s support in the poll would be decided later. “Extending support to anyone is a matter of discussion and we would decide it later on. We believe that now voters would have limited choice by our not fielding a candidate there,” he said. Though, the news may sound like music to the ears of the Congress but there may also be some writing between the lines. Alongwith party MlA Chamra linda at the press conference, Hemant came down heavily on the Congress.
“We have been working to stop communal forces earlier as well as now but could not receive positive response from the Congress on this. We tried this during the last Assembly polls. Had we fought together the BJP would not have won in Jharkhand. Results would not have been any different from what happened in Bihar. The Congress should realise where it has reached,” said the leader.
When pressed about expectations from the Congress the party was looking for, Hemant said that a joint candidate could have been an option. “The joint candidate could have been ours or from the Congress! But they went ahead announcing their candidate in advance and now is seeking our support,” Hemant said. The posture is relevant amid the fact that Chamra linda is also looking for party ticket for his wife from lohardaga.
However, it is not less than a breakthrough for the desperate Congress which maintained persistent pressure on the JMM leadership. Following days of perusal Pradesh Congress Committee chief and party’s official candidate for lohardaga Sukhdeo Bhagat called up Hemant Soren twice even on Wednesday, the penultimate day of filing nomination for the by-poll seeking the support.
“We had decided to go ahead earlier but Sukhdeo Bhagat postponed the nomination filing for Thursday for this only. Today also he consulted Hemant Soren for the support. There is no reason why the JMM does not extend support to the Congress. We can understand the pressure politics but they have to keep in mind that fighting to the BJP should be the lone goal of ours and not the infighting,” said a general secretary in the JPCC.
The party on the other has finalised its plan for the nomination filing day. “The president has decided to file his papers at around 10.30 on Thursday. Though, we tried that any AICC member comes to attend the programme at lohardaga but due to their prior engagements it could not be possible. Moreover senior leaders of the party like Dheeraj Sahu, Rameshwar Oraon and a few party MlAs like legislative Party leader Alamgir Alam and Badal Patralekh would be present on the occasion,” said senior party functionary Alok Kumar Dubey.
Notably, Dheeraj Sahu, Rameshwar Oraon along with former PCC president Pradeep Balmuchu are the known critics of Sukhdeo Bhagat and bringing them on the table would be great boost for him.
With Congress’ fielding its candidate for the Assembly seat fell vacant after sitting MlA Kamal Kishore Bhagat lost his membership is all set to become triangular. Bhagat’s newly wed wife Neeru Shanti Bhagat has been named as joint candidate of the BJP-AJSU combine while former MlA from neighbouring Mandar constituency Bandhu Tirkey has been made JVM candidate.
Sukhdeo Bhagat had represented the constituency once in 2005 while losing two times thereafter though narrowly by around 600 votes. It is also a positive for the PCC chief that number of vote polled in his favour has always gone up. It is being perceived that if the party manages to overcome the sentimental support expected to be garnered by Neeru Shanti Bhagat during the polls then Sukhdeo Bhagat’s sailing to the House would not be difficult this time.
Hemant-3 : Opposition leader Hemant Soren addressing a press conference with MlA Chamra linda and general secertary Vinod Pandey in Ranchi on Wednesday. Pix by Ratan lal