Ex-Cong leader Balmuchu in AJSU party's 2nd list of candidates

The AJSU party on Friday announced its second list of six candidates, taking the total number of nominees to 19 for the November-December elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

Former Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee president and three-time MLA Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu, who joined the AJSU party on Thursday, got the ticket to contest from Ghatsila (ST), his pocket borough.

The other candidates are Nandlal Birua (Majhgaon-ST), Hemlata Oraon (Mandar-ST), Bulu Rani Singh (Potka), Harelal Mahato (Ichagarh) and Bharat Kashi Sahu (Hatia).

Meanwhile, former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, who joined the AJSU party following denial of ticket by the BJP, filed nomination papers from Chhatarpur (SC) as an AJSU party candidate.

The NDA allies, the BJP and the AJSU party, are clashing in 14 constituencies.

While the BJP has announced 69 candidates so far, the AJSU party has declared nineteen names.

"We have fielded winnable candidates in the constituencies where we have worked," AJSU party's chief spokesman Deosharan Bhagat told PTI.

Asked how many more candidates the AJSU will announce, he said, "We will announce our candidates phase-wise".

He said former minister of undivided Bihar Abo Devi and her son joined the AJSU party on Friday.

The five-phase elections will be held between November 30 and December 20 and counting will be taken up on December 23.