Silli, Gomia bypolls on May 28

Election Commission has declared the dates for bye-election slated to take place on vacant Silli and Gomia Assembly segments of the State. As per the schedule published by the Commission on Thursday, the election would take place on May 28 while counting of votes would be conducted on May 31.

Nominations for both the seats can be filed till May 10 and names can be withdrawn by May 11. With this, political posturing for the seats has begun among host of parities into alliances as most of then staking claims at present.

“We have claims over both the seats since there is decisive support base in the favour of AJSU over there. Our workers are putting in lots of efforts for quite some time. It is okay that the party is in alliance with the BJP and running the Government but that does not mean that we would handover our stronghold to our partner,” said AJSU general secretary Deosharan Bhagat. BJP does not have much problem over Silli seat but sure to flex its muscles for Gomia under the seat sharing formula between the partners.

Both Silli and Gomia constituencies fell vacant after sitting JMM legislators Amit Mahto and Yogendra Prasad, respectively representing those in the Assembly got convicted by the court and sentenced for more than two years for involving in criminal cases. The fact has left JMM aggressive as well which is also a part of the alliance in making by cobbling together anti-BJP forces like Congress, RJD and the Left.

“JMM was representing both the constituencies in the House and we are sure to field our candidates from both the seats. Alliance with the Congress and others is for general election. Though final decision would be taken by the party’s parliamentary board at the right time,” said JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya.  

However Congress which is ready to play second fiddle to the JMM by declaring Hemant Soren as leader of the alliance for future is far from making up its mind. “Our leadership in Delhi would take a call on this. Locally, we are under pressure from our workers to contest at least one seat. We would apprise our high command about ground situation,” said former Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lohardaga MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat.