Congress shows big heart after ally JMM backs NDA presidential nominee

The Congress says it understands the compulsions of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), its ally, supporting the NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu over the joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday showed a big heart and said it understood the compulsions of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for supporting the NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu over joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. The Congress ally in Jharkhand was expected to support Sinha.

Yet, JMM announced its support for Murmu, a Tribal leader from Mayurbhanj in Odisha, who is close to the Soren family, after deliberating over the issue for days, on Thursday. On July 4, the Chief Minister Hemant Soren had welcomed Murmu. Even as this has irked the state Congress leaders although the AICC has adopted an accommodative approach for the sake of the alliance government.

JMM was part of the opposition meeting in Delhi which had approved the name of TMC leader Yashwant Sinha as joint opposition nominee for the July 18 Presidential polls but had skipped his nomination on June 27. Before the Presidential polls,the JMM had denied the Congress a chance to field its nominee for a Rajya Sabha seat from the state and had announced the candidature of party leader Mahua Maji.

“There is no unease in the Congress. Both are independent issues. Yes, we had expected that they would support Yashwant Sinha. The JMM was part of the meeting which approved Sinha’s name but they must be having some compulsion. Their party has taken this decision,” AICC in charge of Jharkhand Avinash Pande told ETV Bharat.

“The move to field Sinha was an ideological one,” said Pande. On Saturday, the issue of JMM’s support to Murmu may be discussed at the Congress Legislative Party meeting convened by Pande in capital Ranchi, said the sources. Sinha, who is visiting Ranchi on Saturday, will be welcomed by the Jharkhand Congress leaders and lawmakers.

“All our MLAs are supporting Sinha. We have called a meeting of our MLAs tomorrow. We will discuss the Presidential polls and the organizational issues like the proposed district wise yatras in August,” said Pande. The CM is facing a probe by the poll panel in an alleged mining lease case in which the BJP is a complainant.

Soren recently met union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi after a meeting of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha parliamentarians and legislators was held in Ranchi under the chairmanship of party supremo Shibu Soren. Soren's party meeting culminated without deciding on whom to support, Murmu or Sinha.

The CM’s support for Murmu came within hours after the poll panel extended the date of hearing to August 5, providing a breather to Soren. The presidential polls will be held on July 18, the day when the Parliament’s Monsoon Session also opens.