Allies BJP, AJSU to fight by-election separately

The BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), which together rule Jharkhand, will contest the by-election in the Assembly constituency of Gomia separately. But the BJP will support the AJSU in Silli.

The AJSU is fighting both the seats. It has fielded party president Sudesh Mahto from Silli and Lambodar Mahto from Gomia.

"We stand by our decision to fight the Gomia Assembly seat and support AJSU in Silli. We will follow the 'coalition dharma' in Silli," BJP state President Lakshman Giluwa told reporters.

He said that in the 2014 Assembly polls, the BJP fielded a candidate from Gomia and left Silli for AJSU.

The BJP is yet to announce the name of its candidate from Gomia.

The opposition parties have united to give a tough fight to ruling NDA. All the main opposition parties like the Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik have announced their support to JMM candidates.

On Friday, the JMM announced it will field the wife of disqualified legislators from both the seats. Seema Mahto, wife of Amit Mahto, and Babita Devi, wife of Yogendra Mahto, will contest from Silli and Gomia respectively.

Both seats fell vacant after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislators Yogendra Mahto from Gomia and Amit Mahto from Silli were disqualified after being awarded two years imprisonment in different cases.

--IANS

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