Hemant Soren not to contest from Dumka as speculated: JMM

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday nominated its Shikaripada legislator Nalin Soren from the Dumka Lok Sabha seat, making it clear that jailed former chief minister Hemant Soren will not contest from the constituency as speculated earlier.

The party also fielded its Tundi MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto from Giridih Lok Sabha seat.

"The party has decided to field Nalin Soren from Dumka seat and Mathura Prasad Mahto from Giridih," a JMM official said.

The BJP has already nominated Sita Soren, former JMM MLA and sister-in-law of Hemant Soren, from the Dumka constituency, reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Notably, the saffron party had on March 2 renominated sitting MP Sunil Soren from Dumka but later withdrew his candidature in order to field Sita from there.

Sunil Soren had defeated JMM president Shibu Soren in the 2019 polls by a margin of 47,590 votes.

In a blow to the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Sita, a three-term MLA and elder daughter-in-law of party patriarch Shibu Soren, joined the BJP last month.

SIta alleged that she was "neglected by the JMM" and was in "isolation" after the death of her husband Durga Soren in 2009.