Ranchi, Oct 21 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday dismissed reports of fissures in the Jharkhand BJP over distribution of tickets for the assembly elections, saying some resentment after release of the candidates’ list is natural.
Sarma, who is also the BJP co in-charge of Jharkhand assembly elections, denied allegations that familial ties were kept into consideration while distributing tickets by the party.
Polling to the 81-member assembly in the state will be held on November 13 and November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23.
“I don’t have any information (about fissures in the party). Some resentment after candidate announcement is quite natural,” Sarma told reporters here when asked about discontent among the party’s rank and file leading to some resignations including that of three-term BJP MLA Kedar Hazra.
He said the BJP is a big political party and some “displeasure” and “resignation” was bound to happen and he would meet those disgruntled leaders.
Sarma also rejected allegations that the BJP, which accuses several other parties of being ‘dynastic’, gave election tickets to certain people because of their families.
He said the accusation was misplaced as the ticket was given to Meera Munda, the wife of former Union minister and ex-CM Arjun Munda, since her husband is not contesting the assembly elections.
Likewise, allotment of party ticket to another former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das’s daughter-in-law Purnima Das Sahu was done as he is not contesting elections, Sarma said.
On giving tickets to former CM Champai Soren and his son Babulal Soren, Sarma said it was a commitment made to them when he had joined the BJP after quitting the ruling JMM.
“At the time of his (Champai Soren) joining, we had assured him (of tickets),” he said.
Apparently hitting out at JMM, he said, “Ours is not a party where husband, wife, brother and all contest elections.” Apart from JMM executive president Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren and brother Basant Soren are contesting elections.
On why the BJP did not come out with the candidates for Barhait and Tundi seats, Sarma said elections to the same were scheduled in the second phase and the party will take some time to decide candidates for these constituencies.
Hemant Soren is the sitting MLA from Barhait (ST) constituency in Sahibganj district which he won by a margin of 25,740 votes over his nearest rival Simon Malto of the BJP in the 2019 assembly elections.
The BJP on Saturday released its first list of 66 candidates for the Jharkhand assembly elections, fielding party president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar and former chief minister Champai Soren from Saraikela.
The BJP is contesting 68 of the 81 assembly seats in the state, leaving the rest for its allies.
In the first phase, voting will be held in 43 assembly constituencies. The nomination process for this phase began on October 18 and will continue till October 25, according to officials.
Scrutiny of nominations is set for October 28, and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is October 30.
Approximately 2.60 crore electors, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh persons with disabilities, third-gender individuals, and senior citizens over 85, are eligible to exercise their franchise, compared to 2.23 crore in the 2019 assembly elections.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)