Firm on wresting the best chance available to rub the ruling NDA in a wrong way and that also before the forthcoming lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State, the entire Opposition decided to come under the JMM’s umbrella for the bypolls due on May 28 in Gomia and Silli constituencies.
Parties like Congress, JVM, RJD and even the left centric parties in the form of Marxist-Coordination, CPI (Ml) and others would take on the BJP-AJSU combine; sharing power but on the loggerheads presently.
The unity came following JMM executive president and leader of Opposition Hemant Soren going all out to meet leaders, not in the NDA camp personally and inviting them to join the Opposition bandwagon clearly to defeat the BJP. Soren in this effort contacted top leadership of the Congress, including its national president Rahul Gandhi over phone besides, calling on personally to JVM supremo Babulal Marandi and CPI leaders.
Resulting to the legworks done by the loP, all the parties in the Opposition camp consented to and walked down to Hemant Soren’s residence in the evening for formal consultation and discussion over the candidates for both the seats. Congress legislative Party leader Alamgir Alam, Marxist-Coordination’s Arup Chatterjee, JVM’s Bandhu Tirkey and Yogendra Prapat Singh and RJD’s Bhola Yadav attended the meeting on Wednesday evening.
It is learnt that Hemant during his preliminary talks has presented names as well. “In all likelihood, wives of Amit Mahto and Yogendra Prasad are going to be candidates from Silli and Gomia respectively. Couple of names has come over Gomia.
Formal announcement would be made by the JMM in two-three days,” Arup Chatterjee told The Pioneer coming out of the meeting. Both Amit Mahto and Yogendra Prasad were sitting MlAs of the JMM from Silli and Gomia, respectively before they lost their Assembly membership due to conviction.
For all those coming together in the leadership of Hemant Soren for the bye election have understood it akin to a foundation stone necessary to build a larger coalition. Congress has already declared Soren as leader in Jharkhand and with the likes of JVM and others coming closer; possibilities of an anti-BJP alliance in making are great. As of now all the partners are even ready to burry the hatchet about the chief ministerial face for 2019.
“The party is clear that coming united against the arrogant BJP is paramount while keeping aside personal egos and rivalries. It is the need of the hour if we want to do well in the all future elections. Our common enemy should be the BJP,” said JVM chief Babulal Marandi.
The way of the Opposition coming together has also become easier following a rift developed inside the ruling alliance. Though BJP announced leaving aside Silli for partner AJSU it went into consultation among party workers for Gomia to find a suitable candidate. It was also because on the last occasion both the partners had shared the seats one each, but ended up losing the both. “This was bound to happen. AJSU should understand the mindset of the BJP well in advance. The party does not let any other to prosper and eats its partners up for its sake. For us, it is good news if both the partners come face to face against each other,” said JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya dubbing it as the fate of the NDA ahead of larger future elections.