LS set to pluck out at least two J’khand MLAs

The strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is set to reduce after the ongoing parliamentary elections in the country since a dozen MLAs from the state have joined the Lok Sabha fray in nine constituencies and four of them are locked in a direct contest — two each in Hazaribag and Dumka.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is contesting in only five of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state as part of the INDIA bloc, has fielded its four MLAs — Nalin Soren from Dumka, Joba Majhi from Singhbhum, Samir Mahanty from Jamsedhpur and Mathura Mahto from Giridih — in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded three of its sitting legislators — Mannish Jaiswal from Hazaribag, Dhullu Mahto from Dhanbad and Sita Soren from Dumka.

While Congress has fielded JP Patel from Hazaribag and Pradeep Yadav from Godda constituency, the lone CPI-ML legislator in the House, Binod Singh, is in the fray as INDIA bloc candidate from Koderma.

Besides these MLAs contest“Winnability

ing on party symbols, JMM legislator Chamra Linda has turned a rebel and has filed nomination as an Independent from Lohardaga seat, which was allocated to the Congress in the seat sharing deal. Another JMM legislator, Lobin Hembrom, has also announced to contest as Independent from Rajmahal seat, against JMM’s sitting MP Vijay Hansdak who is seeking a re-election.

While fate of this dozen of MLAs would be determined on

June 4, at least two of them are set to reach the Lok Sabha since two each in Hazaribag and Dumka are locked in a direct contest.

While BJP’s Manish Jaiswal is up against Congress’s JP Patel in Hazaribag, BJP’s Sita Soren is taking on JMM veteran Nalin Soren in Dumka. Since there is a direct contest between NDA and INDIA in these two seats, at least two of them would get elected for Lok Sabha.

is a major factor while deciding candidature. We are a regional party and our MLAs become a natural choice for the bigger battle. Moreover, the fact that assembly elections are conducted soon after the Lok Sabha polls, a few seats getting vacant in the assembly is not an issue of major concern,” said JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey.

Assembly elections in the state are scheduled in November-December this year.

HT PHOTO BJP state president Babulal Marandi with other party leaders during a public meeting in support of party candidate Sameer Oraon ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, in Mandar on Saturday.