RANCHI: Kalpana Soren, wife of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, will be the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate for Gandey Assembly by-poll, to be heldon May 20.
The (JMM) announced the candidates for Gandey Assembly seat and Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat, declaring Kalpana and Samir Mohanty as its candidates respectively.
Gandey seat fell vacant in January this year after sitting MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad of the ruling party resigned from the seat.
According to JMM sources, Kalpana Soren is likely to file her nomination papers on April 29. Party sources also claimed that Kalpana, who has already taken charge of the party in the absence of her husband, may replace Champai Soren as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand if she gets elected.
Kalpana Soren, who projected herself as the JMM leader before the nation during the concluding ceremony of ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ for the fist time on March 17 and gave the slogan – Jharkhand Jhukega Nahin – India Rukega Nahi (Jharkhand will not bow down – India will not stop), is said to have been taking almost all key decisions in the party.
Once disappointed with the absence of Hemant Soren ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, JMM workers now are quite hopeful that
Kalpana's presence will benefit both the party and the alliance as well. Notably, Kalpana has been quite vocal on social media against the BJP after the arrest of her husband, she is now being seen as a strong leader in Jharkhand.
JMM leaders have hinted that Champai Soren will be replaced by Kalpana Soren soon after her election to the seat.
Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu, who is said to be very close to Hemant Soren, has said during a meeting with party workers at Gandey, that they are not going to elect an MLA only, but a leader equivalent to Chief Minister. AICC General secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir has also described Kalpana Soren as “CM material” saying that the BJP will pay a heavy price for its ‘injustices’ meted out to political leaders and people.