JMM supremo Shibu Soren, his incarcerated son, Hemant Soren, daughter-in-law Kalpana, and incumbent Chief Minister Champai Soren are among the 40 star campaigners announced by the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Shibu Soren will lead the campaign across five states, including Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, as per the list submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand.
The list also includes Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda, who defied the party’s decision by filing his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for the Lohardaga Lok Sabha seat. The seat was allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing agreement within the state’s ruling alliance.
Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s press advisor, Abhishek Prasad Pintu, who recently faced questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to illegal mining and land deals, has also been included in the list. Despite being behind bars in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hemant Soren is listed as the second most prominent campaigner after his father. He was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
Kalpana Soren, who is contesting the by-election to the Gandey assembly constituency, has also been included in the list as a prominent campaigner for the Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in four phases in Jharkhand from May 13. The JMM’s star-studded campaign roster is expected to bolster the party’s chances in the upcoming elections.
