Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren and chief ministerial face of the three-party opposition alliance will contest the Jharkhand assembly election from Barhet and Dumka constituencies which he had contested in 2014 assembly as well. Both these seats are in JMM’s traditional stronghold tribal-dominated Santhal Parganas.
The decision of the party was announced by JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey on Sunday while announcing the party’s seventh list of candidates that include mostly old leadership.
The list also includes Sita Soren, elder sister-in-law of Hemant Soren, who has been fielded form her sitting seat Jama. The announcement of the list also laid to rest the speculations surrounding the possible candidature of Basant Soren, who was said to be eying his debut in assembly election and willing to contest from Dumka.
The JMM has put on hold the announcement of its nominees from Gandey and Sarath constituencies that will go to polls on fourth and fifth phase respectively. The last date of nomination for the fourth phase is on November 29, while it is December 3 for the fifth and last phase.
Hemant had won the Dumka seat in 2009. However, in 2014 he had contested from Dumka and Barhet assembly polls and represented the fourth assembly from Barhet after losing to serving minister Luis Marandi in Dumka, which has been a traditional seat for the party represented by Stephen Marandi several times in the past.
{{/usCountry}}Hemant had won the Dumka seat in 2009. However, in 2014 he had contested from Dumka and Barhet assembly polls and represented the fourth assembly from Barhet after losing to serving minister Luis Marandi in Dumka, which has been a traditional seat for the party represented by Stephen Marandi several times in the past.
{{/usCountry}}The party has nominated Stephen Marandi from Maheshpur this time too. The five term JMM legislator was shifted to Maheshpur in 2014 and he had won.
The JMM rested the septuagenarian leader and sitting MLA Simon Marandi from Littipara due to the poor health and nominated his son Dinesh William Marandi instead. Simon had represented the seat for six terms.
The regional party also reposed faith on old war horses in Santhal Parganas, the JMM bastion and fielded Haji Hussein Ansari from Madhupur, Nalin Soren from Sikaripara, Sita Soren from Jama, Lobin Hembrom from Borio and Rabindra Nath Mahto from Nala.
The JMM has picked up Ketabuddin Seikh from Rajmahal and Vijay Rajwar from Chandankeyari. Ashok Kumar got the JMM ticket to contest Poreyahat seat, while Ashok Mandal has been nominated from Nirsa. However, announcement of candidates from Gandey and Sarath constituencies was put on hold. The JMM was weighing the option of whether to field former speaker Shashank Sekhar Bhokta from Sarath that he had represented in the past or try a new and energetic face who can challenge the BJP vigorously. The JMM was also searching the right alternative of the former legislator of the party from Gandey after the death of Salkhan Soren in 2016.