Ranchi: JMM’s smart and silent move to suddenly announce an expansion of the cabinet and inducting Hafiz Ul Hasan, son of slain JMM minister Haji Hussain Ansari, is like hitting two birds with one stone. On one hand it has silenced the alliance partners who were staking claim over the Madhupur assembly seat, while on the other, it has emboldened the prospects of Hasan, a debutant in electoral politics.
Things started getting murkier after RJD suddenly staked claim over the Madhupur seat, even though the party could not perform well in the previous elections. Madhupur has been juggling between BJP and JMM since the formation of Jharkhand, although JMM has been stronger with Haji winning the seat on four occasions — 1995, 2000, 2009 and 2019. BJP’s Raj Paliwar managed to win the seat twice in 2005 and 2009.
RJD forwarded the logic that in the previous two bye-elections —Dumka and Bermo — JMM and Congress have respectively fielded candidates in alliance and won them. Now, it is RJD’s turn for the third seat.
Clarifying their decision to stake claim over Madhupur, RJD state president Abhay Singh said, “Since we are in alliance, our candidate would have secured victory if supported by JMM and Congress.” When asked about Friday’s induction, although Singh welcomed Hasan’s inclusion, he said decision on RJD’s stand will be taken by its chief Lalu Prasad.
Though Congress rejected RJD’s claim over the seat, reminding them of their performance in the 2019 assembly elections, there was difference of opinion within the party. Congress state president Rameshwar Oraon said Congress, with 18 MLAs, is far stronger than RJD with just one in the house. State Congress working president Irfan Ansari, however, expressed surprise over the decision. “It is the CM’s prerogative to appoint his council of ministers and he must have consulted the matter with our party high command in Delhi, but we here were out of the any consultation,” he said.
For alliance partners, JMM’s message is strong and clear — Madhupur will be contested by the party, although Hemant still has one more berth in his cabinet to adjust the discontent. The maximum and minimum size of the cabinet in Jharkhand is of 12 members and with six ministers from JMM quota, four from Congress and one from RJD, one berth still remains vacant.
BJP finds the decision of inducting Hasan in cabinet ethically wrong. Party’s state president and MP Deepak Prakash said the Hemant Soren government has been misusing its power. “Our allegations have been ratified by the move as the voters will be influenced by the minister and government machinery during the election,” he said, adding instead of seeking votes to elect an MLA, the saffron party will be seeking votes for electing a minister. “Voters are well informed these days and we are sure of winning the seat,” he said.
Sources in JMM said apart from pressure for declaration of a candidate for the Madhupur seat, the pressure to appoint a minister has also been put to rest by Hasan’s induction.