Having faced Hobson’s choice in selecting between two widows of deceased MlA Anil Murmu, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is all set to pick up his first legitimate wife Uniquey Udoro Hansda as the party candidate for the littipara bypoll scheduled to be held on April 9.
“We had a brainstorming session to select between the two, as both the widows had staked claim to the legacy of late Murmu. Both have even begun to campaign. Now, we have decided to go with the first spouse as she enjoys the legal and social acceptability as well. It would be difficult for us to campaign for the second widow among the electorate,” said a senior JMM leader, requesting anonymity.
Being fought in the shadow of the BJP”s landslide victory in UP and Uttarakhand, the JMM would not like to take any chance to lose the seat retained by it since 1980 in the Santhal stronghold.
He said that her name will be officially declared in a day or two as she is completing the legal formality to file the nomination. Uniquey is a non-teaching staff in SP College, Dumka.
It would be interesting to see the next move of Nisha Shabnam Hansda. If she fights as an Independent, it would be disadvantage for the JMM. Nisha was by his side when Mumru breathed his last.
“We are trying to console his second widow,” he added. late Murmu, who had mentioned both his wives in the affidavit filed for fighting the Assembly elections, is survived by six children out of the two wedlocks, including five from the first one.
Senior JMM leader Stephen Marandi said that under Christian Marriage law the second marriage was not allowed without giving divorce to the first wife, though under Santhal Customary law, marrying more than one is allowed. Murmu, was a Santhali Christian by faith.
Uniquey’s selection will get the support of JVM leader Babulal Marandi, who had already declared that he will not field his candidate if the JMM fielded any of the two widows of Murmu. The Congress had also given its indication to go for a consensus candidate to stop the BJP in grabbing the seat.
Marandi, according to sources, had made up his mind to field his own candidate, most likely Christo Hansda, if the JMM did not field Murmu’s widow.
The JMM, making a strategy to ride high on sympathy votes, is all set to give a tough challenge to the BJP, which mulled an idea to field his widow in case the JMM did not pick up Murmu’s widow.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Raghubar Das had held four public meetings in littipara, one of the most backward tribal blocks in the country, since he took over the reign of the State in 2014. littipara with over 71 per cent tribal population forms part of Pakur district in Santhal Pargana.
littipara happens to be covered by the Centre’s Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY) as one of the backward blocks in the country having only 32 per cent of literacy rate. The VKY has been launched by Central Government for holistic development and welfare of tribal population.
Though the BJP is waiting for the JMM to make the first move, the list of probable candidates included Hemlal Murmu, Babudhan Murmu and Daniel Kisku.
Hemlal, though appeared not very keen to contest the elections, said that the littipara might have been a stronghold of the JMM since 1980, but situation has changed over the years.
“littipara, represented by the JMM for a long time, remains one of the most backward blocks in the country with the people still deprived of the basic amenities of Bijli, sadak, paani and swasthya. The tribals too want development and change. So, the BJP stands a better chance in this bypoll,” he maintained.
littipara has been represented by former JMM stalwart Simon Marandi and his wife Sushila Hansda since 1980. Simon, who had joined the BJP before the last assembly elections, has quit the saffron brigade and was trying to secure ticket for his son Dinesh Marandi from the JMM. Dinesh is sure to fight as an Independent if he fails to get symbol from any recognized party.