Defeated UPA warriors in ticket fray for RS poll

Vijay Deo Jha Ashis Sinha Ranchi Bokaro Friday, June 5, 2009

In this race for tickets for the Rajya Sabha elections; both the Congress and the JMM share similar feature: defeated warriors trying to enter into Parliament through this safe alley.

The three former Congress MPs — Sushila Kerketta, Dhiraj Kuamr Sahu and Furkan Ansari—one who was denied ticket in parliamentary elections and another who lost it marginally; seemingly joined ticket race for RS elections in Jharkhand.

The two other lost faces in the JMM—Hemlal Murmu and Teklal Mahto—are quite keen about their candidature. Hemant Soren the tyounger son of the JMM chief is also in the fray and it is well expected that he will get the party nomination for the same.

About the Congress sources in central Congress confided about the meeting of state president Pradeep Balmuchu with Oscar Fernandis and Ahmed Patel in News Delhi on Thursday morning where they discussed probable party candidates for elections.

“Initially the party will discuss a panel of names of the candidates for two seats and it will be decided later on should the party accommodate the aspiration of the JMM,” a Congress man said The JMM on the other hand will discuss the name of the prospective party candidate on June 7.

The chief whip of the JMM; Mathura Mahto said this during a press conference on Thursday in Bokaro. “The JMM will stake claim of at least one of two Rajya Sabha seats which fell vacant after two upper house members were elected to Lok Sabha. He said: “Talks will be initiated with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partners over the election”.

The strategy will be given a final shape on June 10 during the central working committee meeting of the party. Mahto had another pet subject harp to harp on: government formation which he said would be discussed that also. Can such exercise of government formation is feasible in Jharkhand? Within the party a good number of party men doubted Mathura’s claim but they admitted a fresh rumbling among the top party leaders to get party nomination for RS ticket.“Contender number one is Hemlal Mrmu who will be chased by Teklal Mahto…but there are a good number of aspirants and dark horses in the party; see this will be an interesting game,” a party insider said.

But the final decision rests upon the JMM chief Shibu Soren. Murmu who lost from Rajmahal parliamentary constituency is vying for the party ticket. A close confidant of Murmu hoped: “Owing to his seniority and closeness with Shibu Soren he will undoubtedly get party ticket.” Backed by strong Mahto lobby in the JMM Teklal will have a pitched battle with Murmu.

Shift to the Congress house where Kerketta would reasonably demand the party high command to be sympathetic to her. Kerketta who was a sitting MP from Khunti was denied ticket under the pressure of Balmuchu camp. “She is a woman, she was denied ticket and there is a strong lobby in the party that will support her case,” a senior Congress man said.

The state BJP leaders who till yesterday bore elation on their face now fear they might not be able to win any of the seats. Not the numerical strength of the UPA but decision of the Election Commission of India has brought dismay for them. They strongly protest the move of the Election Commission of India to conduct the elections of two seats in two different phases.

A delegation of the BJP leader also met the Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla and demanded the elections of both of the seats at the same time. The assault, consequently, never looked formidable enough. The commission decided to conduct elections of both the seats with two separate ballots.

“Till yesterday, the NDA accused the UPA for turning Jharkhand into a political laboratory…now it is the turn of the ECI to go UPA way and do another experiment on Jharkhand,” a BJP leader bemoaned. “What we can do when if the ECI has taken such a decision; the BJP will fight the election; what else,” state BJP president Raghuwar Das said this.

His combative tone was quite missing. “It is an acceptance of defeat in advance,” this acceptance could so easily have belonged to a BJPman.