Guessing game on for Ajoy’s next political move

The next political move of former Jharkhand Congress president Ajoy Kumar is one of the most discussed issues among his fans, both within the Grand Old Party and outside it on social media sites like Facebook. A large section of his fans feels that Ajoy has been humiliated by a section of Congress seniors and he should quit the party as one of them, Rameshwar Oraon, has been elevated to the post of JPCC president.
The former Jamshedpur SP-turned-politician kept his cards close to the chest. Talking to TOI, the former IPS officer said, “I want to relax now and chill out.” He added, “I am still in the Congress.” But Ajoy refused to divulge whether he would quit the party before the assembly polls in the state.
Ajoy said, at present, he is in Delhi.
However, there are also murmurs that Ajoy may go back to the JVM-P fold and contest from the Jamshedpur West assembly seat.
It may be mentioned here that Ajoy won the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha bypolls on a JVM-P ticket in 2011. Ajoy is quite popular among the urban and Muslim voters, which form a major chunk of the electorate in the Jamshedpur West segment.
Such speculations, however, would only materialise if JVM-P, which is a constituent of the mahagathbandhan, manages to stake claim on this seat as JMM and Congress have several leaders queuing up for ticket from this place. It would be an uphill task for the mahagathbandhan leadership to keep the flock together as aspirations of individual leaders may split the rift wide open.
In the last assembly polls, JMM, Congress, JVM-P and others fought separately. Many leaders from the opposition have confided in TOI that they would contest as an independent or jump the fence if their party denies them a ticket.
Earlier, senior Congressman and former MLA Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu openly threatened if he is denied ticket from Ghatsila (reserved) seat, he would contest as an independent candidate.
Rameshwar Oraon on Sunday at a party function had raised doubts on whether JMM working president Hemant Soren would be CM face for the mahagathbandhan. Oraon, who took over the mantles of state Congress in the recent past, said like-minded parties would sit and decide the CM candidate. Such statements also put a big question mark on the future of mahagathbandhan in the state.