Putting speculation and uncertainty over the fate of JMM’s candidate to rest ahead of June 11 voting for the Rajya Sabha, the two-member Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) has decided to extend its support to it. The party’s executive body met on Friday evening to fix the matter.
Announcing the decision JVM supremo Babulal Marandi, an arch rival of JMM chief Shibu Soren, justified the support terming it the need of the hour. “The party has decided to lend its support in the favour of JMM for the Rajya Sabha elections. The decision has been made keeping in mind the unity of the Opposition in the State,” he said. The JMM, in turn, announced to support the JVM call for the economic blockade on June 11-12 to protest against the State government’s domicile policy.
The JMM has made its youth wing president Basant Soren a candidate for the election slated to fill two vacant positions in the Upper House. Moreover, the party has 19 members and already pocketed Congress’ support it was still short of two crucial votes to reach the magic figure 28. The BJP-AJSU combine carrying 47 votes and couple of Independents in its camp has fielded second candidate in the form of Mahesh Poddar sending the JMM into tizzy.
To secure the entry of his younger brother in the House of Elders, JMM’s executive president Hemant Soren had on Thursday visited Marandi, the gesture unforeseen in the history of Jharkhand politics. However, it yielded result for the party which can now feel secure with at least 29 votes in its favour that of Congress, JVM and Marxist Coordination of Arup Chatterjee.
At the same time, the JVM reiterated its stand over the defection of six of its MlAs to the BJP and stressed that the Speaker’s court decide the matter as early as possible. “About one and half year has passed and the Speaker is sitting over the matter. We have examples of Uttarakhand, Bihar and Assam where decisions have been made in no time.
We believe that the Speaker is working under pressure of the head of the Government as the disqualification of the MlAs in question would lead to departure of the Government,” said JVM legislative body leader Pradeep Yadav.
He also furnished an RTI reply sought from the Election Commission of India over merger of the JVM into the BJP as claimed by its former rebels. Answering the query about any information on merger of recognised political party of the State, the Commission on May 27 has said, “No request had been received from any recognised political party from Jharkhand State regarding merger of political parties.” On being further asked about merger of the JVM with any other party the reply came in negative as well.
“The RTI reply from the EC itself demolishes the claims of the MlAs that the JVM has merged itself into the BJP. Thus, we demand from the Speaker to decide the matter before Rajya Sabha election. If it is not done, we would organise protests against him from July in order to save democracy,” added Yadav.