Ranchi, September 18: Ahead of the upcoming Ghatsila Assembly by-election, the Hemant Soren-led government is reportedly preparing to induct Somesh Soren, son of the late Education Minister Ramdas Soren, into the state cabinet.
As per reports, a formal announcement could be made soon after the Pitra-Paksha period ends. Notably, family members of Ramdas Soren had recently met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and urged him to appoint Somesh, keeping the late leader’s political legacy alive.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had earlier followed a similar strategy during the Madhupur and Dumri bypolls and tasted success. Party leaders believe the formula may work once again in Ghatsila.
However, JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey has said that no final call has been taken yet, but asserted that the party is confident of retaining the seat.
On the other hand, the BJP has attacked the ruling party, calling it “political opportunism” to name a possible minister even before the election. BJP leaders believe that the people of Ghatsila will reject the JMM’s move and vote for a change.
In the opposition camp, two names are in the spotlight. BJP’s Ramesh Hansda has been active in Ghatsila for a long time, while Babulal Soren, son of former Chief Minister Champai Soren, also remains a strong contender. Babulal had received 75,000 votes in the last election, compared to Ramdas Soren’s 98,000 votes. The BJP is expected to finalise its candidate in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has started preparations for the Ghatsila bypoll, which became necessary after the death of Ramdas Soren. A special revision of the voter list is underway, and the final list will be published on September 29.
The by-election is most likely to be announced in October and could be held alongside the Bihar assembly polls.
