E-Paper
Presidential poll: In U-turn, JMM pledges support to Murmu
Murmu, who served as Jharkhand Governor for over six years, had called on Shibu Soren, a Rajya Sabha member, during her visit to Ranchi on July 4 and sought their support.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday announced to support BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, who is set to become first person from the tribal community to hold the top constitutional post in the country after the election to be held on July 18.
Taking a different view on the issue from its other two ruling alliance partners in the state — the Congress and the RJD, which are backing opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, JMM president Shibu Soren wrote to his party’s MLAs and MPs on Thursday, directing them to vote for Murmu.
Murmu, who served as Jharkhand Governor for over six years, had called on Shibu Soren, a Rajya Sabha member, during her visit to Ranchi on July 4 and sought their support.
“You are aware that former Jharkhand Governor who is a tribal woman is a candidate in presidential election. This is the first time post independence that a tribal woman would be getting honour to become president. After long deliberations, the party has decided to support Murmu in the election. All party legislators, MPs are directed to vote in favour of Murmu on July 18,” reads the letter of JMM president Shibu Soren to party’s elected representatives.
JMM is the largest party in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly with 30 legislators, besides two Rajya Sabha and one Lok Sabha members.
JMM was one of the 17 parties that had announced Sinha as their joint candidate.
Meanwhile, Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha is expected to visit Jharkhand and meet legislators here on Saturday.
JMM’s decision comes amid a legal crisis being faced by its working president and chief minister Hemant Soren, both before the Jharkhand High Court and the Election Commission of India.
While the party, after a meeting with elected representatives and senior leaders on June 25, had authorised president Shibu Soren to take a call on the issue, the decision was announced two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on Tuesday.
Modi’s visit and unusual moves by CM Hemant Soren and his government in welcoming the Prime Minister has sparked rumours of possible political realignment in the state.
“The JMM could give whatever justification for its decision to support Murmu, but politically speaking and in context of the prevailing condition the chief minister has landed himself in, this decision needs to be seen as a step ahead by the JMM to get closer to the NDA,” said Sudhir Pal, a political commentator in the state.
While the Congress leaders did not respond to calls and messages for their reaction till the time of filing the report, senior BJP leaders, including Jharkhand BJP chief Deepak Prakash and legislature party leader Babulal Marandi welcomed the JMM’s announcement.
