As many as seven candidates have entered the bypoll arena of Kolebira Assembly segment as the date of filing nomination ended on Monday. Besides all the three major political parties, an independent and one from lesser known Sengal Party submitted their nomination papers before election officer Arvind Kumar of Simdega.
Giving details of the nominations filed Deputy Commissioner of Simdega Jata Shankar Choudhary said that all the seven nomination papers would be scrutinised on Tuesday.
“As the date for filing nomination ended today we have received seven names for the bypoll. The nominees are Menon Ekka of Jharkhand Party, Pyara Mundu of Jharkhand Party (Horo), Basant Soreng of the BJP, Naman V Kongari of the Congress, Anil Kandulna of Sengal Party and Vinod Kerketta as Independent,” the DC said.
Following the papers getting examined, the candidates can withdraw their names till Thursday. Bypoll has to take place on December 20 to fill the vacancy arisen after Jharkhand Party’s Enosh Ekka was unseated following his conviction in a murder case.
Politically, the bypoll has become interesting after fracture erupted inside the grand alliance coming up by bringing together almost all major parties into the anti-BJP camp. Major Opposition party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha initiating the disintegration went on backing Jharkhand Party’s candidate and wife of the unseated MLA Menon
Ekka. Soon, the Congress after some consultations named Kongari for the seat.
“We tried our level best to save the alliance as far as the bypoll is concerned.
But it is unfortunate that we could not make JMM agree. Now we are focusing to win the election and ensure the defeat of the BJP,” said former JPCC president and Lohardaga MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat who had accompanied Kongari to file his nomination. The BJP’s candidate also filed their papers on Monday.
Talks with the JMM to settle for a united candidate for the seat could not yield any result even after Congress State in-charge RPN Singh flying down to Ranchi, having consultations with JVM chief Babulal Marandi and later sitting with JMM executive president Hemant Soren till late on Sunday evening.
The infighting nevertheless has pleased the BJP. “Opposition’s grand alliance has ridiculed the people as if they consider politics of Jharkhand a laughter show. This shows what happens to the unholy alliances like this that are formed just to grab power.
Entire alliance is nothing more than a joke where no one is ready to accept leadership of Hemant Soren but the Congress State president has already designated him as leader. Even Babulal Marandi and Hemant Soren are not feeling easy with each other,” said State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo commenting on the developments.
He also expressed confidence that the BJP would contest the bypoll in the name of development and create history by pocketing the seat for the first time after independence.