Jharkhand ruling alliance bickers over by-poll
June 4th, 2011 - 6:35 pm ICT by IANS
Ranchi, June 4 (IANS) Jharkhand’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) were Saturday locked in a war of words over the Jameshedpur Lok Sabha by-poll scheduled for July 1.
The Jamshedpur seat fell vacant as Chief Minister Arjun Munda quit it in February after being elected to the state assembly.
“BJP should support our party nominee in the by-poll. Our party had supported Munda in the Kharsawa assembly poll,” senior JMM leader and former deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahato said in Jamshedpur, where the party’s three-day executive committee meeting commenced Saturday.
JMM is likely to announce its candidate for the Jamshedpur seat by Sunday.
The BJP too is unwilling to back down.
“Traditionally, Jamshedpur is BJP’s seat. Our party won the Lok sabha polls in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2009. We lost the Jamshedpur seat in 2004 and 2007 by-poll. How can we leave the seat,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha told IANS.
Same is the case with the two main opposition parties - the Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P).
The parties fought the 2009 assembly polls together and won 14 and 11 seats, respectively, in the 81-member house. The Congress also supported JVM-P in the Kharsawa assembly by-poll against Munda.
“Our party has a large base in Jamshedpur. We are determined to fight the poll. The Congress should support us,” JVM-P legislative party leader Pradeep Yadav told reporters here Saturday.
The Congress, meanwhile, has invoked the concept of ‘coalition dharma’.
“JVM-P should maintain coalition dharma and support our party nominee,” the party’s state spokesperson Shailesh Sinha told IANS.
- Opposition to field common candidate against Munda in by-poll - Jan 21, 2011
- JMM undecided, opposition to fight Munda in bypoll - Jan 13, 2011
- JMM eyes Jameshedpur Lok Sabha seat after Munda victory - Feb 18, 2011
- Munda cuts short US visit for Jamshedpur bypoll - Jun 09, 2011
- Soren rejects Munda's plea, JMM joins Jamshedpur by-poll (Lead) - Jun 11, 2011
- JMM to field candidate against Munda in by-poll (Lead) - Jan 13, 2011
- Munda faces tough by-poll as campaigning ends - Feb 08, 2011
- Whom to support for Hatia by-poll? JMM to decide May 28 - May 26, 2012
- Marandi seeking Maoist help to win Jamshedpur by-poll: Munda - Jun 30, 2011
- BJP refutes JMM's power rotation claim - Jul 09, 2011
- Munda wins Jharkhand by-poll, to stay as chief minister (Lead) - Feb 17, 2011
- Jharkhand's ruling alliance to face each other in Hatia by-poll - May 23, 2012
- BJP backtracks, votes for JMM candidate - Mar 30, 2012
- JMM wants Lok Sabha seat to help Munda in assembly poll - Nov 30, 2010
- BJP undecided over Jharkand by-poll pact - Nov 14, 2011
Tags: ally, assembly poll, assembly polls, bjp, committee meeting, deputy chief minister, dharma, executive committee, jamshedpur, jmm leader, july 1, jvm, lok sabha polls, opposition parties, party leader, party nominee, spokesperson, state assembly, vikas, war of words