By IANS,
Ranchi: Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) president Babulal Marandi Monday dared Chief Minister Shibu Soren to fight election from his party-held Bokaro assembly seat to become legislator, a constitutional obligation Soren needs to fulfil by June 30.
“Soren is finding it difficult to get a seat to get elected to the state assembly. His party legislators and family members (who are legislators) are not willing to quit their seats for him but we offer our Bokaro seat. Our sitting legislator, Samresh Singh will quit the seat and fight against Soren,” Marandi told reporters in Ramgarh district Monday.
Soren, who became chief minister for the third time Dec 30, has to get elected to the state assembly by June 30. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader has yet to take a decision on which seat to fight the polls from. Soren wanted to fight from Dumka or Jama assembly seats, which are represented by his son Hemant Soren, and widowed daughter-in-law, Sita Soren, respectively. None of them are reportedly willing to quit their seats.
“Bokaro is the home town of Soren. We feel that Soren should fulfil the constitutional obligation to become a legislator. We offer our Bokaro seat and our legislator will fight the poll after quitting the seat. If Soren has guts he should fight the poll from Bokaro and win,” he said.
In January last year, Shibu Soren had to quit the chief minister’s post after he lost the crucial Tamara assembly by-election. Soren wants to fight from a safe seat this time.