E-Paper
Amid alliance talks, JMM stakes claim on Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat
Several leaders of other political parties join JMM in Chaibasa in presence of Hemant Soren.
Jamshedpur: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president and leader of opposition Heman Soren has staked claimed over Singhbhum parliamentary seat as his party has five MLAs from this segment, even as the former chief minister claimed that the proposed grand alliance of the opposition against the BJP was intact.
The claim comes at a time when efforts of the opposition parties to form a grand alliance in the state are at nascent stage and the seat is being eyed both by the Congress and the JMM.
Ever since Jagannathpur MLA Gita Koda, wife for former chief minister Madhu Koda, joined the Congress in November, there has been speculation that the party wants to field its candidate from Singhbhum.
Soren was in Chaibasa on Thursday to welcome new members in the party. He gave membership receipt to former Chakradharpur MLA Sukhram Oraon along with his wife Navmi Oraon and around 100 new members.
During the visit, Soren said his represented five out of six assembly seats in Singhbhum parliamentary segment and so was a claimant for it.
“The party has a natural entitlement over the seat for upcoming parliamentary elections. JMM legislators represent Chaibasa, Chakradharpur, Manoharpur, Manjhgaon and Seraikela assembly seats under Singhbhum. In seat sharing by Mahagathbandhan parties, JMM would demand the seat, but the party was ready for any sacrifice to root out the BJP in the upcoming elections,” Soren said.
“JMM is ready to give maximum number of seats to Congress to let the Mahagathbandhan come in power at Centre. Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JMM) will help in giving tough fight to the BJP in Jharkhand. Face of the alliance for assembly elections in Jharkhand is not a big issue. Non-BJP parties are intact to remove the Raghubar Das government and best decisions will be taken in due course of time including the face of the alliance,” the former CM said.
Soren said that an outsider (referring to Chhattisgarh roots of chief minister Raghubar Das), who had come to Jharkhand for earning, became a Raja (ruler). “He has been torturing the original inhabitants of the state with the lathi he brought while coming from Chhattisgarh,” Soren said.
The JMM leader said that under Das’ ‘dictatorship’, innocent para-teachers were being killed. All sections of the society in Jharkhand are suffering due to anti public policies, he said.
Former MLA from Chakradharpur and BJP leader Sukhram Oraon along with his wife Navmi Oraon and supporters returned to the JMM at the party meeting. He had joined BJP before 2014 assembly elections and left it later, while accusing Singhbhum MP Laxman Gilua of dictatorship.
Oraon said Gilua ran the party as his pocket organisation and dedicated party members were humiliated.
“Villagers are highly disappointed with the BJP government as they are getting nothing but fake promise. Members of other political parties are joining the JMM and it will form government in next election,” Oraon said.
