RANCHI: With the run for ticket concluding for the Assembly polls, as many as ten former MPs and one current MP of BJP, JMM and Congress parties are also in the fray along with the other candidates in Jharkhand.
The list also includes some of the former MPs who lost their seats during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and managed to get tickets for them for the Assembly polls as well.
Some of the big faces include, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who started his political career as a Rajya Sabha member from 24 June 2009 to 4 January 2010, and Babulal Marandi, who represented Dumka Lok Sabha seat from 1998-2002 and was later became Chief Minister in the year 2000.
In addition to that, former MPs Rameshwar Oraon of Congress and Sudarshan Bhagat of BJP, contesting from Gumla and Lohardaga respectively, are also in the fray.
Former BJP MP Sunil Soren who was for Sita Soren to contest from Dumka Lok Sabha, who had joined BJP ahead of the Assembly polls after quitting the JMM, has also been given ticket from Dumka Assembly seat. Others former MPs who have been preferred over the regular candidates include Geeta Koda from Jagarnathpur, Pradeep Yadav of Congress from Poreyahat, Ravindra Panday of BJP from Bermo, Samir Oraon of BJP from Bishunpur.
Former MP and senior JMM leader Hemalal Murmu is also trying his might from Littipara Assembly seat. When asked about the reason behind preferring the former MPs over the regular party workers, both the BJP and JMM functionaries said that the tickets were given only on the basis of the win-ability factor of the candidates.