The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday announced its second list of 15 candidates for the Jharkhand assembly polls, taking the total number of party's nominees for the elections to 18.
Sitting MLAs Champai Soren (Seraikela-ST), Dasrath Gagrai (Kharsawan-ST), Dipak Birua (Chaibasa-ST), Niral Purty (Majhgaon-ST), Joba Manjhi (Manoharpur-ST), Seema Mahato (Silli), Babita Mahato (Gomia) and Vikas Kumar Munda (Tamar) have been re-nominated by the party, according to the list.
The party has also announced the names of Sabita Mahato (Ichagarh), Mahua Majhi (Ranchi), Sameer Mohanty (Baharagora), Sanjeev Sardar (Potka-ST), Jigga Susaran Horo (Sisai-ST) and Ramdas Soren (Ghatsila-ST).
The JMM, the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had recently announced a pre-poll alliance in the state. Former chief minister and JMM working president Hemant Soren will be the alliance's chief ministerial face.
The Congress will contest 31 out of 81 seats in Jharkhand. The RJD will contest on seven seats, while the largest chunk of the alliance share has gone to the JMM, which will contest on 43 seats.
Jharkhand will vote in five phases, with the first one on November 30 and the last on December 20. Results will be declared on December 23.
BJP names 15 more candidates for Jharkhand polls
The BJP on Thursday released its third list of 15 candidates for the Jharkhand assembly polls, taking to 68 the total number of seats for which it has declared its nominees.
Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon has been fielded from Sisai and ministers Neelkant Munda and Amar Kumar Bauri from Khunti and Chandankyari respectively, according to the list.
However, the name of minister Saryu Rai has been missing from the list of BJP candidates so far, fuelling speculation that the party may be planning to drop the senior leader as its candidate in the elections to 81-member assembly.
The BJP is fighting the Congress-JMM alliance to retain power in the state under the leadership of chief minister Raghubar Das.
The BJP's alliance with AJSU has hit hurdles after its ally named several candidates on the seats from where the saffron has also fielded its nominees.
