The BJP on Friday announced Dilip Kumar Verma as its candidate for the by-election in the Gandey assembly constituency, ahead of JMM which is yet to announce its official candidate. Speculations are rife that the JMM may field its arrested leader Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren for the bypoll.

Though the JMM is yet to officially announce Kalpana as the party candidate for the Gandey bypoll, the party central spokesperson and Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar said: “She would be the party candidate for Gandey bypoll. Official announcement will be made soon.”

Meanwhile, the BJP Central Election Committee has approved Verma's candidature for the bypoll, which will be held on May 20 along with Lok Sabha elections.
    "Verma is a social worker, and is at present, holding the post of secretary in the party. He will contest elections for the first time,"  said State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.
    The Gandey seat in Giridih district fell vacant after the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad who was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on March 14.   

The bypoll for the Gandey Assembly seat became necessary as it fell vacant following the resignation of the JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad on December 31. Sarfaraz Ahmad was recently elected to Rajya Sabha from INDIA bloc earlier this month.

Hemant was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31 night after his resignation before the governor over an alleged money laundering charge on land scam. He is at present under judicial custody at Ranchi Central Jail.

Kalpana Soren, the wife of former chief minister and JMM executive president Hemant Soren, has started preparing the groundwork for the Gandey bypoll, even though the party has not officially announced her as the candidate.

After a ‘successful’ entry into the political arena during her maiden address to party workers at Giridih on March 4, the JMM had silently used a private agency to conduct a public survey in Jharkhand on whether Kalpana’s entry into politics would benefit the party in the state, in which a high number of respondents nodded that she would have an impact in state’s polity.

“Her speech on March 4 at Giridih (Gandey Assembly constituency falls under the Giridih district) drew huge praise not only from the party leaders but also from the general masses and was a success. Thereafter, a private agency conducted an opinion-based survey among respondents of the state on whether Kalpana ji’s entry into politics would benefit the party and a significant number (nearly 40 per cent) agreed that she would help the party’s fortune in the elections,” said a senior Ranchi-based JMM leader considered close to both Hemant and present chief minister Champai Soren.

 The ruling alliance, led by JMM, has 47 MLAs in the 81-member assembly. The BJP has 26 MLAs and the AJSU Party has three. Additionally, the NCP and CPI (ML) have one lawmaker each, alongside two Independents and a nominated member.
    Within the ruling alliance, the JMM has 29 MLAs, the Congress has 17, and the RJD has one legislator.