Storm in JMM over Soren’s probable constituency

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi

NATION | Monday, March 29, 2010


A storm in a teacup is brewing in the JMM over Soren’s probable constituency. His son Hemant Soren and daughter-in-law Sita Soren on Sunday announced to resign from their Assembly constituencies — Dumka and Jama respectively — to pave the way for father Soren to contest the by-election.

“I can vacate Dumka seat for Chief Minister Shibu Soren to fight the by-election,” Hemant told the media on Sunday afternoon in Ramgarh district during an official tour with his father.

However, Shibu Soren neither attested nor contested the sudden revelation of Hemant. “I will contest as I told you,” Guruji said but refused to answer ‘where’ and ‘when’ of the constituency.

Shibu Soren, aka Guruji, is now running short of time — only three months — to contest and win the Assembly bypoll to retain the post of the Chief Minister. However, this time unauthenticated story of the rupture within Soren’s family is in air. A close aide of Sita alleged that Guruji’s youngest son Basant Soren and other leaders of the JMM are pressurising her to vacate Jama Assembly seat to make way for Guruji.

“I am going to resign from Jama for the Chief Minister to contest…I give you this breaking news,” Sita told The Pioneer over telephone in declamatory tone, adding, “I am fed up with…will be happy to remain as the ex-MLA of Jama.” She refused to disclose whether she could be suitably rewarded for that sacrifice.

“Do not know…cannot tell it right now. He (Guruji) is the guardian of the family he will take care of my interest,” she said.

Quick to snub the allegation, Basant swears: “She (Sita) is the wife of my elder brother and I have a lot of respect for her. It is a wrong allegation.”

But announcements and clarification could not help to break the ice; it rather exposed a major fault-line within Soren family. Sita, till a few days back, is reported to have protested her political disinheritance by leaving Jama. Despite the fact, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) insiders revealed, Guruji wanted to contest from Jama. However, the JMM insiders claimed that Guruji initially had even in his mind to nominate Sita as the JMM candidate for Dumka parliamentary election. But the discussion never took a serious proportion. Guruji is representing Dumka parliamentary seat and he is yet to resign from the Lok Sabha.

“It is unfortunate that in the JMM decisions are taken at the last hour when things go beyond control. He (Guruji) should ideally have convinced Sita to leave Jama assuring a political reward…no serious effort was made, perhaps. There is too much discord in the Soren family. Ambitions are too high,” a JMM party worker close to Soren family said.

Guruji’s tactical silence to announce his constituency gave rise to the suspicion that he was not willing to contest Assembly bypoll despite he made his intention clear to contest on the floor of the Assembly. Trusted lieutenants of Guruji had said that he will announce his constituency just after the budget session of the Assembly, which ended on Saturday. While Soren siblings made startling revelation of their loyalty to Guruji, the JMM house appeared divided. “Dumka was never the priority of Guruji. He had two options — Jama and Jamtara — to contest. JMM MLA from Jamtara Vishnu Bhaiya has already offered his seat. I do not who prompted them to go public,” a senior JMM leader said.

Meanwhile State Assembly Speaker CP Singh declined that he received any communication from Sita and Hemant about their intention to resign.

“I have not received any communication or any resignation letter from them,” Singh told The Pioneer. The turmoil in the first family of Jharkhand politics is public now.