Lohardaga bypoll: JMM for consensus UPA candidate

JMM) on Sunday said it will make its "best efforts" in the next two days to convince UPA partners to field a consensus candidate for Lohardaga (ST) bypoll.

Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Sunday said it will make its "best efforts" in the next two days to convince UPA partners to field a consensus candidate for the December 14 Lohardaga (ST) bypoll, failing which the party will announce its nominee.

"It will be better if we have only one candidate from the UPA. We are trying for it. If we are not successful in our pursuit, then JMM will fight the election as it has a good following in Lohardaga," JMM Working President, Hemant Soren said at a press conference here.

When he was told Congress today officially announced PCC President Sukhdeo Bhagat as its candidate, Soren said then it was clear Congress was out of the alliance.

"Even now, JMM will make best efforts for a consensus candidate because JMM alone can resist communal forces. To defeat NDA, we have to be together... And if we (JMM) don't succeed (in building up a consensus candidate), then we will announce our candidate by tomorrow evening or day after," he said.

BJP is supporting its ruling ally AJSU party candidate Niru Bhagat, while Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has fielded former Jharkhand minister Bandhu Tirkey for the bypoll.

The seat fell vacant after AJSU party's Kamal Kishore Bhagat lost his Assembly membership after being jailed for seven years in a 1993 case of attack on a doctor.