Kalpana files nomination for Gandey assembly seat bypoll

Kalpana Soren filed her nomination as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate for the Gandey assembly by-election on Monday.
The JMM leader was accompanied by chief minister Champai Soren, Congress legislature party leader Alamgir Alam, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) minister Satyanand Bhokta, and Kalpana’s brother-in-law Basant Soren at the nomination centre, and will be up against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Dilip Verma in the bypoll scheduled on May 20.
Later, the entire Soren clan, led by JMM party president Shibu Soren and top INDIA bloc leaders, shared the stage at a campaign rally in Giridih, extending support to Kalpana and the JMM’s Giridih Lok Sabha candidate, Mathura Mahto.
Hitting out at the BJP and the central government for having framed her husband, Hemant Soren, Kalpana sought people’s support for the May 20 bypoll so that she ‘could become a pillar of support’ for them.
“They have put your leader, Hemant Soren, behind bars. But no one can imprison the ideas that Hemant Soren represents…they put him behind bars because he was fighting for Jharkhand and its rightful outstanding dues of ₹1.36 lakh crorefrom the Centre. I need your support to ensure the INDIA bloc wins in the upcoming Lok Sabha and by-election,” said Kalpana. Assuring the people of Gandey, Kalpana said she was aware of the problems of the area and solving them would be her priority. “Providing drinking and irrigation water would be my priority. I would also ensure that a degree college for women comes up here,” she added.
The Gandey by-election has been necessitated after JMM legislator Sarfaraz Ahmed resigned from the assembly on December 30, 2023, citing personal reasons. Gandey is a general seat in Giridih and is part of the Koderma Lok Sabha constituency.
Ahmed had vacated the seat in anticipation of Directorate of Enforcement (ED) action against the then-chief minister Hemant Soren, his possible arrest, and the transfer of power to Kalpana, which could have required her to get elected to the assembly within six months.
Since Kalpana is from Odisha, she could not have contested any seat reserved for scheduled tribes, including Barhait, represented by Hemant Soren. Though the ED arrested Hemant Soren on January 30 this year, he named transport minister Champai Soren his successor. However, the party has now decided to field Kalpana Soren as their candidate for the Gandey seat.
Meanwhile, BJP said Gandey has decoded to ensure the defeat of Kalpana, who represents nepotism. “The seat was vacated to make way for a member of the Raj Pariwar off JMM. This is the best example of nepotism. People would give a befitting reply,” said Leader of Opposition Amar Bauri.