TMC gains from JMM defection

RANCHI: In the last one week, Jharkhand saw the worst ever political churning since the Election Commission notified Lok Sabha polls 2014 on March 5. Having been denied tickets so far, five sitting MLAs, a sitting MP and a former MLA have quit their respective parties to join another with an assurance to get a party ticket. The sixth, a minister in the Hemant Soren cabinet has also threatened to quit the party, though he is yet to resign formally.

So who stood to gain from this upheaval? It was none other than Didi's Trinamool Congress which is yet to open its account in Jharkhand both in the state assembly and Parliament.

The disenchantment among MLAs and MP with their respective parties and a couple of independent MLAs-proved to be a boon for the party which grabbed the chance to take them under its wings- promptly announcing that it would contest at least seven of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The party announced that the lone MLA from Jharkahnd Janadhikar Morcha, Bandhu Tirkey and Chamra Linda from Rashtriya Kalyan Paksh (lone) supporting the hemant Soren government here would contest from the Ranchi and Lohardaga seats respectively. The party is also likely to field JMM MP Kameshwar Baitha, first ever Maoist to join the mainstream and become a parliamentarian- from Palamu seat.

On the other hand veteran Congressman Chandra Shekhar Dubey, five time MLA and one time MP also crossed over to the TMC and is certain to be fielded from Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat which was denied to him by the Congress. All four quit their respective parties to join the TMC recently. JMM stalwart, Shibu Soren's younger brother Laloo Soren also did a somersault by joining the TMC where he has been promised a ticket. Laloo had earlier contested assembly elections unsuccessfully. "TMC would contest from Ranchi, Lohardagga, Godda, Palamu, Dumka, Chatra and Khunti Lok Sabha seats,'' said Tirkey.

The JMM and Congress both suffered a blow in not only the former losing its MP but JMM faithful Hemlal Murmu- one time MP and five time MLA right from 1980- also did a Ramkripal Yadav in Jharkhand by joining the BJP on Wednesday after being denied ticket by the party from Rajmahal in Santhal Pargana. The Congress too suffered a jolt after Dubey and former MLA, Niyel Tirkey deserted the party for better options. Niyel joined the Ajsu Party on Thursday.

JMM played its part in effecting defection when it brought in Vijay Hansda, son of former Congressman Thomas Hansda, into the party and fielded him from Rajmahal seat in Santhaal Pargana. This prompted Simon Marandi, JMM minister in the Soren cabinet who wanted the party to field his son from Rajmahal, to threaten the party to quit though he is still to do so formally.