BJP likely to discuss LS poll candidates

Vijay Deo Jha

RanchiJharkhand BJP in a three-day meet of its Working Committee may finally sound poll bugle for the next parliamentary election by finally discussing and deciding the list of the prospective party candidates to be sent to the Central Election Committee (CEC) ahead of the election schedule.

Sources in the BJP indicated the CEC would convey the list to the State working Committee in the first week of July. The list might include the name of former BJP leader and independent MLA Indersingh Namdhari for Chatra constituency along with another party stalwart Yaswant Sinha for Hazaribagh. Three times winner Ramtahal Chaudhary from Ranchi, Kariya Munda from Khunti and Dukha Bhagat from Lohardaga and Jagmohan Ram from Palamu are some of the names that have emerged out of a prolonged parley in the party forum. The meet scheduled to be held from June 27 in the State capital is expected to be attended by Karuna Shukla, in-charge State BJP, Saudan Singh, Ganeshilal and office bearers of the party. The meeting could some decision on the home coming of some of the estranged leaders of the party including Gulsan Lal Ajmani, Ramji Lal Sarda and Nirvay Singh. The party sources hinted a possible comeback of some of the leaders who left party along with Mabulal Marandi. Although Pasupati Nath Singh, President State BJP denied having any such thing included in the agenda of the meeting of the working committee. The core meeting is likely to meet in the month of July to discuss the list of candidates. However, he indicated that seniority as well as the ability to win the election would be the sole criteria. But it is learnt that the core committee would hold a meeting for this on June 27 to finalise the list. But the party sources hinted that the central high command had already made up its mind regarding the prospective candidates; at least five names were decided during the Raisumari (opinion taking exercise) undertaken by Ramlal, organizational secretary. Although Ramlal had termed his visit as a part of the democratic process and a bid to bring the party close to the grass root. At a time when factionalism and internal strife has tapered off in the party, the central high command seems to have taken care of the interests of the different groups. A highly placed source did not rule out the possibility of Munda and Yaswant Sinha bagging the maximum number of tickets for their supporters.