The news that Mandu MlA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel is going to be a part of next Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Cabinet is spreading like wildfire. Soren takes oath on Saturday.
JMM sources close to JP told The Pioneer that things were moving in the right direction and that both Guruji and Hemant had already given the green signal. JP is the son of veteran JMM leader, late Teklal Mahto and son-in-law of JMM heavyweight former Minister Mathura Mahto. According to sources, Mathura Mahto had put the proposal before Shibu Soren when asked to prepare for parliamentary elections from Giridih. If JP becomes Minister, it will be a strategic victory.
MlA of Baharagora Vidyut Varan Mahto seems to be the only hurdle between JP and a ministerial berth. Among 18 MlAs of JMM, four belong to Mahto community and Mathura is senior among them. MlA Jagannath Mahto of Dumri is very close to him and has no objection to Jai Prakash Patel.
The State Cabinet fixes at least one berth for a Mahto leader and political pundits expect it to be Mathura but this time, he is in a mood to surprise them.
Since the inception of Jharkhand, Hazaribagh has always got representation in the Cabinet. It started with Devdayal Kushwaha and then Babulal Marandi won from Ramgarh, a part of Hazaribagh district at that time and a part of Hazaribagh parliamentary constituency till now. After that it was AJSU's Chandra Prakash Choudhary, MlA of Ramgarh, who got ministerial berth in every Government formed after the 2004 Assembly polls.