Jharkhand BJP leader Saryu Roy to contest against CM Raghubar Das in assembly polls.

Source – indiatoday.in

Peeved about his name not featuring in the list of 72 candidates announced so far for the assembly polls, senior BJP leader Saryu Roy on Sunday said he will contest against Chief Minister Raghubar Das as an Independent.

Roy said he will contest from the Jamshedpur (East) and Jamshedpur (West) assembly constituencies. He had won from the Jamshedpur (West) seat in the 2014 polls.

He tendered his resignation from the state Cabinet and assembly membership on Sunday evening.

In a letter addressed to Governor Droupadi Murmu, Roy said he is resigning from the ministry and that it be accepted with immediate effect.

Earlier in the day, Roy had said he would resign on Monday.

Roy was the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister in the Jharkhand Cabinet.

“I will file my nomination papers from both the assembly constituencies tomorrow,” he said.

Roy’s move comes in the wake of his name not finding a place in the first four lists of 72 candidates declared by the BJP for the 81-member assembly in Jharkhand, which is going to polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20.

Asked if he was taking on his own party by deciding to contest against the chief minister, he said, “Let the BJP take action against me.”

The BJP has re-nominated Das from the Jamshedpur (East) seat, while it is yet to announce its candidate from Jamshedpur (West). The two seats will go to polls in the second phase on December 7 and the last date of filing papers is Monday.

To another query on whether contesting elections from two seats would be a tall order, Roy said, “Not at all. The geography of the city (Jamshedpur), its people and issues are the same. My supporters will campaign from my home constituency, while I will concentrate on Jamshedpur (East).”

Jharkhand Assembly Polls 2019: AJSU party announces first list.

Source – moneycontrol.com

Jharkhand’s ruling NDA constituent, the AJSU party, on November 11 announced the first list of 12 candidates.

Party president Sudesh Kumar Mahto was re-nominated to contest from Silli assembly constituency. Mahto had lost the seat in 2014 assembly polls.

The party also named Jharkhand Water Resources Minister Ramchandra Sahis to contest from Jugsalai, a party release issued here said.

The AJSU party also nominated Kushwaha Shiv Pujan Mehta, who won the Hussainabad seat on Bahujan Samaj Party ticket in 2014 assembly elections and recently joined the AJSU party, from the same constituency.

Former minister Umakant Razzak has been re-nominated to contest from Chandankiyari, which he lost in the last polls.

Niru Shanti Bhagat, who has been re-nominated from Lohardaga, is the wife of party leader Kamal Kishore Bhagat, who won the seat in 2014, but was disqualified after his conviction in a case. In the subsequent bypoll held in December 2015, Sukhdeo Bhagat, contesting on Congress ticket defeated Niru Shanti Bhagat.

Sukhdeo Bhagat, who held the post of Jharkhand PCC president, joined the BJP last month, apparently with the hope of getting Lohardaga seat.

Lohardaga is not in the BJP’s first list of 52 candidates announced on Sunday.

The five-phase election to the Jharkhand assembly is beginning on November 30 and the last phase will be held on December 20.Counting will be taken up on December 23.