The Congress on Monday announced the name of Davendra Kumar Singh A.k.a Bittu Singh as party candidate from Panki (Palamu) seat. With the announcement of candidate from Panki seat, the three parties Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has announced the names of 12 out of 13 seats going to polls in first phase. In first phase, the Congress will contest on six seats, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) four seats and RJD three seats. JMM is yet to announce the candidate from Latehar seat.
Sources said that former Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister, Baidyanath Ram, who was eyeing ticket from BJP from Latehar is likely to be fielded from the constituency. In the last Assembly election, Ram contested the election on BJP ticket from Latehar but lost to JVM (P) candidate Prakash Ram. However, in September Prakash Ram switched side and joined BJP.
Sulking Baidyanath Ram, who was planning to switch side is likely to join JMM. Sources said that Baidyanath Ram on Monday visited the residence of JMM executive president Hemant Soren for meeting JMM leader.
Sources said that Baidyanath is likely to join JMM on Tuesday and he will be fielded from Latehar.
Meanwhile, the battle for Panki is also going to witness interesting as BJP has fielded Kushwaha Shashi Bhushan Mehta, a Palamu based politician and self proclaimed academician from seat, which is being represented by Davendra Kumar Singh A.k.a Bittu Singh.
Mehta (52), who is facing trial in connection with murder of Suchitra Mishra a school teacher of Oxford Public School, Ranchi run by Mehta joined BJP on October this year. Mehta’s induction in BJP witnessed high voltage drama as Suchitra’s sons Abhishek and Ashutosh Pandey opposed the induction of Mehta in BJP fold.
Bittu Singh is the son of former Panki MLA Videsh Singh, who won the seat in 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2014, irrespective of his political affiliations. In 2016 after the death of Videsh Singh, Bittu Singh won the seat as Congress candidate defeating BJP’s Lal Suraj. Kushwaha Shashi Bhushan Mehta who was then JMM nominee contested making the contest triangular.
The Congress party on Sunday released its first list of five candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections. According to the list of candidates, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Rameshwar Oraon will contest from Lohardaga (ST) constituency.
Among the other candidates are — Ramchandra Singh from Manika (ST) constituency, KN Tripathy from Daltonganj, Chandrashekhar Dubey from Bishrampur and KP Yadav from Bhawanathpur. The 81-member Jharkhand assembly will go to polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20 and the votes will be counted on December 23.
