The central committee of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) dismissed speculations over inking a pact with the Congress and the RJD and announced its plan to field candidates in all 81 constituencies in the Assembly election, renominating 14 sitting MlAs.
The JMM has fielded widow of party veteran Sudhir Mahto in Ichagarh, but kept the suspense alive over the seat to be contested by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who, presently, represents Dumka. Sita Soren, grand-daughter for Shibu Soren, has also been renominated to contest from Jama, a seat being eyed by Guruji's younger son Basant Soren.
At a marathon meeting on Sunday, the JMM finalized a few names that included some of the known faces who were recently braced into the party's fold.
Sitting MlAs and their supporters camped at the party office at Morhabadi since early morning for the meeting which was behind schedule. Although the meeting started amid the assumption that the party may announce last minute shift in the strategy derived from the statement of Chief Minister Hemant Soren claiming attempts from Congress and RJD leaders to explore possibilities of alliance.
Notably, the Congress announced a list of 14 candidates on Saturday. "There will be no alliance and we will contest elections alone. To give a befitting reply to the Bharatiya Janata Party we will field candidates in all 81 constituencies," said Soren.
The JMM had been in negotiations with the Congress for contestingelections together. However, talks reached a dead-end as no consensuscould be evolved on an agreeable formula for seat sharing inJharkhand. The JMM had demanded about 50 seats for contesting under'grand alliance' which included Rashtriya Janta Dal and Janata
Dal-United besides, the grand old party. Also, theCongress High Command was under pressure from the State unit tocontest all the seats and part ways with the Jharkhand-based politicalparty.
The clash of interests with the Congress would have snatched mentalpeace of most of the sitting MlAs of the JMM. However, the centralcommittee meeting brought respite for them as most of them have retained their candidature and they have been officially declared as party's candidates from their respective constituencies.
"All MlAs (of the party) will contest from their constituencies and they have been asked to start preparations in their constituencies," added Soren.
Earlier, Bishunpur MlA Chamra linda joined the JMM in the presence ofparty patriarch Shibu Soren and later he was declared as the party'scandidate from the reserved constituency. The occasion was alsoopportune for the JMM to rectify the mistake committed earlier andnominate Sabita Mahto, wife of late leader Sudhir Mahto, as thecandidate from Ichagarh Assembly constituency. Sabita Mahto had beenprojected as JMM's candidate for Rajya Sabha. However, under pressurefrom coalition partners the party had to pull back her candidature.
The eventful day saw hundreds joining the JMM, including son of formerminister Madhu Singh, lal Suraj Singh. While Singh has been bestowedwith the opportunity to contest from Panki Assembly seat, formerCongressman Niel Tirkey will contest from Simdega whereas Joba Manjhihas been declared party's candidate from Manoharpur.
"Those who harbour the party's ideology are coming back to the party. Thisis akin to coming back home," maintained Soren. The central committee meeting was attended by all sitting MlAs, committee members and newly inducted party workers.