Jharkhand leaders suffer 'son-stroke'

Jharkhand leaders, mostly the top rung, appear to be suffering from son-stroke.
The state, which has 81 Assembly constituencies, and goes to the polls from November 25 to December 20 in five phases, is likely to witness dynasty politics in the next one-and-a-half month as leaders ensure that their son or relatives get a ticket.

Leading the pack is Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren who wants his younger son Basant Soren to contest from any of the constituencies in Santhal Pargana.
The senior Soren is a Lok Sabha member from Dumka. His son Hemant, Jharkhand chief minister, represents Dumka in the outgoing Assembly.  Now Guruji, as Shibu is fondly known, wants his third son Basant to choose a constituency of his choice in the region which has been a fiefdom of Sorens since the 70s.

Senior Congress minister in the Hemant Soren government, Rajendra Singh, is reported to be lobbying for his son Jaimangal Singh from Bokaro, while another party veteran Dadai Dubey has already got a ticket for his son from Chhatarpur.

Former Congress MP Furkan Ansari, who in all probability, will contest from Madhupur (bordering Jharkhand-Bengal), wants his son Irfan to be the Congress candidate from Jamtara.

Former Congress MP Tilakdhari Singh is reported to be lobbying for a party ticket for his son Dhananjay from Rajdhanwar constituency, his bastion  in Giridih.

The JMM and the Congress are not the only parties lobbying for tickets for their near and dear ones.  Kunti Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Jharia,  has got a ticket for her son Sanjeev. Jharkhand BJP president Ravindra Rai wants his brother Surendra Rai to be fielded from Rajdhanwar.

Likewise, former MP Rita Verma’s cousin Jai Prakash Verma has been made party nominee from Gande in Giridih. Rita is a BJP member.

In the meantime, the BJP has softened its stand towards one of its allies—the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) headed by Ram Vilas Paswan— and assured the regional outfit the Shikaripara  Assembly seat.

The move comes shortly after the BJP tied up with All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU) and gave the smaller but important party eight seats out of total 81 constituencies. After leaving one seat for the LJP, the BJP will field its candidates for the remaining 72 constituencies.