Springing a surprise, the JMM re-inducted its old cadre Simon Marandi into the party fold and named him its nominee for littipara bypoll on the last day of nomination filing on Tuesday.
Simon, who had shifted his loyalty towards the BJP briefly but left it after losing the last Assembly election from the same constituency, was adamant to contest the election.
Name of Simon Marandi surfaced prominently into the party on Monday when he had made his intentions clear by going ahead and filing his nomination papers as an Independent.
Till then, the party was considering couple of other names that included first wife of the sitting MlA Dr Anil Murmu, Uniquey Udoro Hansda and Basant Soren, the youngest son of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren.
The party waited till its arch rival BJP named Hemlal Murmu as candidate from the constituency since it was being perceived that the saffron party may rope in the widow in order to gain sympathy votes in its favour. Though, Uniquey along with second wife of Anil Murmu Nisha Sabnam Hansda were claimants of the party ticket and had given representation before JMM’s executive president Hemant Soren to press for with their demand.
“We were waiting for the BJP’s step. As they have announced the name, we are going with winnability factor alone. The seat has been with the JMM for last over 30 years and we have considerable support base over there. Simon Marandi has his own workers and supporters,” said JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya wishing away the sympathy factor playing any prevalent role.
However, the JMM’s step could not deter any of the two ladies from jumping into the poll fray. Soon after Simon Marandi’s name was announced by Hemant Soren at Pakur, Uniquey Udoro and Nisha Sabnam rushed to the DC office with their respective papers and applied as Independent candidates.
This also led the JVM that had earlier offered backing Uniquey provided the JMM makes her nominee for the midterm election, to go for its own candidate. After a formal meeting of its election committee the party named Kisto Soren to contest the bypoll on party ticket. “We were willing to back the widow of Dr Anil Murmu who was originally our member. But now as the JMM had ditched her, we named Kisto Soren as our candidate for littipara,” said Babulal Marandi.
Expectedly, the emerging situation has left the BJP smiling. “We are sure to end the decades’ long mis-governance of the JMM here in the constituency. They should explain why the constituency remained so backward over the years,” asked State chief laxman Gilua flanked by Hemlal Murmu.
BJP poll strategists say that both the ladies carry some sympathy factor with them and if this could cut into JMM’s support base, even up to some extent, it may smoothen the way for the BJP. “We observe that both the ladies would eat up the JMM vote bank only and supporters and workers of Dr Anil Murmu would also get confused,” said a senior party functionary.
The saffron party is also looking to draw some encouragement from its good showing in the recent Assembly elections besides, banking on the division of votes into the opposition camp.
Although some excitement is still left before the nomination process finally ends on March 24 when the nominees can withdraw their papers from the April 9 polling.