After having been deserted by two of its MlAs, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has now come face to face with ambitious kin of a senior Congress leader adamant to challenge the JMM’s candidate with tainted history thus infuriating the party.
Miffed at the reports of state Youth Congress president Jaimangal Singh alias Anup Singh pushing the state Congress leadership to field candidate from Giridih, the JMM cautioned the Congress of breaching the agreement and reminded them of the coalition dharma. “There will be only one candidate for Giridih from UPA’s fold and that is Jagarnath Mahto,” asserted JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya. Giridih happens to be the sitting seat of the BJP.
Under the seat sharing agreement, the Congress and JMM are contesting nine and four seats respectively, leaving one seat for lalu Prasad’s RJD in the State. Earlier, Anup Singh expressed reservations about supporting the JMM’s candidate for Giridih who has been recently charged with beating a youth who subsequently died in a hospital at Bokaro. “Can we seek vote for a tainted candidateIJ We have faced protest for supporting a tainted candidate; people are burning effigies of Sonia Gandhi. How can we ignore theseIJ,” maintained Singh.
Interestingly, Singh, who is the son of Congress legislature party leader and Energy Minister Rajendra Singh, suggested that instead of supporting the JMM’s candidate the Congress must look for a “friendly fight” in Giridih. He is learned to have purchased nomination papers for Giridih parliamentary constituency which scheduled to go to polls on April 17. “I am putting forward this suggestion to prevent any third candidate from winning. I have requested the State Congress president to talk to the party high command on this issue and whatever they decide I will follow,” added Anup Singh.
However, with three more days left to file nomination for Giridih constituency the JMM has rejected the demand of a friendly contest between the alliance partners besides downplaying any conspiracy theory to curb the growing influence of Mahto leaders in the party. Incidentally, Jagarnath Mahto was among the rebel MlAs who had threatened to resign from JMM after it reneged on the promise of awarding a Rajya Sabha ticket to Savita Mahto. “There will be no friendly contest,” pointed out Bhattacharya, adding “no faction in JMM is behind this incident.”