RANCHI: Putting an end to the speculation that Hemant Soren may contest against his 'bhabhi' Sita Soren from the high-profile Dumka Lok Sabha seat, the JMM has finally announced the name of old warhorse Nalin Soren as its candidate. The party has also fielded JMM stalwart Mathura Mahto from the Giridih Lok Sabha seat.
Party strategists had earlier considered fielding jailed former Chief Minister Hemant Soren but changed their mind after Sita Soren joined the BJP. They saw this as a trap laid by the BJP to turn the battle between ‘devar’ and ‘bhabhi’ into a war for the legacy of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren.
Incidentally, Soren in his message to senior JMM leaders has said that they should strictly adhere to the policy of giving tickets to dedicated party cadres and not to outsiders who have joined the party ahead of the 2024 polls. Keeping his instructions in mind, a meeting of senior party leaders will be held on Friday to discuss the names of candidates for the remaining three Lok Sabha seats of the JMM quota.
“The names announced will be of those who are completely dedicated to the party and have a background with the JMM. They should also be sensitive to ‘Jharkhandi’ issues,” said JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey. He, however, refused to talk on the issue of Hemant Soren’s message of fielding hardcore JMM cadre for the Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, CM Champai Soren and minister Basant Soren met Hemant Soren in jail ahead of Friday's meeting to discuss the names of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
Though the Congress has announced the names of its candidates for three out of seven seats in its fold, it is still to reach a consensus over four seats as there is more than one claimant for each of those seats. In such a situation, the Congress Working Committee will meet once again in New Delhi on April 6 to resolve the ongoing conflicts within the Congress camp. The names of the candidates are likely to be announced after the meeting.
The JMM is planning to host a mega rally of the INDIA bloc at Ranchi very soon for which the top leaders of all alliance partners will be invited. Though the date has not been fixed, JMM sources say it could be held on April 14.
The final decision, however, is likely to be taken on Friday during the meeting of top JMM leaders. According to JMM functionaries, this rally will also blow the bugle for the campaign of the INDIA bloc in Jharkhand.
