A day after BJP-backed Opposition presidential candidate P.A. Sangma received little commitment in his favour from leaders of Jharkhand’s non-Congress parties, UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday met leaders of non-BJP parties in Ranchi and found ample support for himself for the July 19 polls.
Accompanied by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and a few senior Congress leaders, Mr Mukherjee reportedly managed to get the “full assurance” of support from two major parties — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM). Mr Yadav and Mr Paswan were actively engaged in talking with leaders and MLAs of various non-BJP parties to garner support for Mr Mukherjee.
While the JMM, an ally of Jharkhand’s BJP-led coalition government, indicated its support to Mr Mukherjee after he met with JMM chief Sibu Soren, the other ruling ally, All-Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU), which has six MLAs and no MPs, still remained noncommittal. The JD(U) in Jharkhand, which has two MLAs and is an ally in the state government, toed the line of its central leadership to pledge support to Mr Mukherjee.
“He (Mr Mukherjee) is such a renowned man in public service for so long and this is an election of high dignity,” said Mr Soren to journalists after the former Union finance minister met him at his residence for about half-an-hour. JMM sources said Gurujee, as Mr Soren is known in Jharkhand, assured Mr Mukherjee of the support of the party’s 18 MLAs and two members of the Lok Sabha.
JVM chief and former CM Babulal Marandi, whose party has 11 MLAs and two MPs and maintains a piquant love-hate relationship with the Congress, assured Mr Mukherjee of support and urged him to pay special attention as President to smaller and poorer states like Jharkhand.