Ruling JMM’s Bebi Devi and AJSU Party’s Yashoda Devi on Thursday filed their nomination papers as INDIA bloc and NDA candidates respectively for the September 5 by-election to Dumri assembly seat in Jharkhand.

Bebi Devi, the widow of former education minister Jagarnath Mahto, filed her nomination at the Dumri sub-division office. Mahto’s death has necessitated the bypoll.

INDIA bloc leaders, including JMM legislators Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Mathura Mahto and Sarfaraj Ahmed, CPI (ML) Liberation’s Vinod Kumar Singh and Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh were present at the nomination centre.

On the other hand, Yashoda Devi filed her nomination in the presence of AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto and senior BJP leader and former MP Ravindra Rai. Other NDA leaders including AJSU’s Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary, Gomia MLA Lambodar Mahto, BJP MLAs Narayan Das and Randhir Singh were also present.

Both the alliances have claimed that their candidates will emerge victorious in the bypoll.

Bebi Devi said, ”My husband had done a lot for the people of Dumri assembly seat. They loved him so much. I have full faith they will shower their affection on me in the by-election. I will fulfill my husband’s unfulfilled dreams.” The Soren government has already given Devi the status of a cabinet minister. She was sworn in as minister on July 3 this year.

The bypoll to the Dumri assembly seat will take place on September 5, while the votes will be counted on September 8. The last date for filing nominations is August 17.

AJSU’s Lambodar Mahto claimed, ”Yashoda Devi will win the bypoll. Hemant Soren government’s failure will ensure her victory. This government has not fulfilled any of its promises including the 1932 Khatiyan-based domicile policy and OBC reservation.” BJP’s Deoghar MLA Narayan Das said, ”The NDA candidate will win the bypoll by a huge margin, as voters know that the current JMM-Congress-RJD government has failed on all fronts.” The by-election was necessitated after the death of Jagarnath Mahto at a Chennai hospital on April 6 this year after prolonged illness. In the 2019 assembly polls, JMM’s Mahto had defeated AJSU Party’s Yashoda Devi by a margin of 34,288 votes. PTI SAN SAN ACD

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