RJD joins JMM in backing Menon Ekka for Kolebira
RANCHI: After the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) decided to back Jharkhand Party candidate Menon Ekka for the December 20 by-election in Kolebira, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday followed suit. However, Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) had earlier announced that it would support Congress candidate Bikshal Kongari.
The move is significant as Congress-led opposition parties, including JVM-P, RJD, and JMM met in Delhi on Monday to chart out their strategy to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabah elections.
The by-election was necessitated after the Assembly Speaker disqualified Enos Ekka, the husband of Menon Ekka, on July 10, following his conviction in a murder case. RJD state president Annapurna devi on Monday said the decision was taken after verifying ground realities and to stop the BJP from winning the seat. However, the RJD said it would not impact the UPA alliance in the LS polls next year.
JMM working president Hemant Soren on Saturday said that the tie-up in Kolebira would not affect the Congress-led alliance.
Meanwhile, a Congress delegation led by former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai on Monday met chief electoral officer L Khiangtey and requested for free and fair polls in Kolebira.
The Congress maintained that Enos Ekka had been threatening political leaders from the jail to influence the polls.
It demanded a high level probe into the allegations and sought Enos’s transfer to another jail outside Jharkhand till the end of by-election.