JMM undecided, opposition to fight Munda in bypoll
By IANSThursday, January 13, 2011
RANCHI - The main opposition parties will field their candidates against Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda in the Kharsawa assembly bypoll whereas the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is undecided about it.
BJP legislator Mangal Singh Soy vacated the Kharsawa assembly seat in November to facilitate Munda to get elected. Munda became the chief minister in September last year and in compliance of statutory requirement he has to get elected to the state assembly within six months of being sworn-in the chief minister.
The Election Commission Wednesday announced that nomination for bypoll will begin from Jan 17 while polling will take place Feb 10. The votes will be counted Feb 17.
“Our party is yet to take a decision regarding fielding candidates or supporting Munda in the bypoll,” said Supriyo Bhattacharya, a senior JMM leader.
Sources say the JMM wants the BJP to give up the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat in return for its support in the assembly bypoll. Munda is a member of parliament from Jamshedpur and the seat will fall vacant once he gets elected to the assembly.
The All Jharkhand Students’ Union Wednesday announced its support to Munda in the bypoll.
On the other hand, the Congress, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) and other opposition parties have decided to field their own candidates in the Kharsawa bypoll.
Munda had won the Kharsawa seat in 1995 on a JMM ticket. He joined the BJP just before the 2000 assembly polls. He again won the seat in 2000 and 2005 on the BJP ticket. In 2009 assembly elections, BJP’s Mangal Singh Soy won the seat.
