Ranchi: In Jharkhand, many leaders have taken a plunge into politics because of their family legacies and compulsions. Some of them got high positions from the respective parties while others were sidelined for various reasons.
The most prominent name among such legacy-driven leaders is Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand CM Hemanth Soren. Even before Hemant Soren's arrest on January 31, the story of her political future had been written. Due to circumstances, she was fielded in the by-election after Sarfaraz Ahmed vacated the Gandey seat of Giridih district. She won the election. She was also projected as the future Chief Minister.
In the current election, Kalpana is in the electoral fray from Gandey again and has become a star campaigner for India Bloc candidates throughout the state.
BJP trusts Sita Soren
Sita Soren, the elder daughter-in-law of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, is now making a new identity for herself in politics. After the death of her husband Durga Soren, she took over the political legacy of 'Jama' and successfully won elections three times in a row. However, after the entry of Kalpana Soren and citing lack of preference in the party, she decided to join the BJP. The BJP fielded her in the Lok Sabha elections from Dumka, but she lost. Now the BJP has fielded her from the Jamtara assembly seat, where she is pitted against Irfan Ansari, son of senior Congress leader Furkan Ansari, who is currently a minister and has won the Jamtara seat twice in a row.
Basant Soren also trying his luck
When political legacy is discussed, Basant Soren's name also comes up. He is brother of Hemant Soren and has been active in JMM for a long time. In 2019, Hemant Soren contested and won from both Barhet and Dumka seats. After becoming the Chief Minister, he vacated the Dumka seat, where Basant Soren won the by-election. This time too Basant Soren is contesting from Dumka, but he is facing BJP's Sunil Soren, who had earlier defeated Basant Soren's father, Shibu Soren, in the Lok Sabha elections in Dumka. Earlier, Sunil Soren had also defeated Durga Soren in the assembly elections in 'Jama'.
Several other families are also having an impact on the Jharkhand electoral scene. Ragini Singh, daughter-in-law of Dhanbad's prominent leader and former Jharia MLA late Suryadev Singh, is contesting from Jharia. Shweta Singh, daughter-in-law of former MLA late Samaresh Singh, is contesting from Bokaro. Amit Mandal, son of former Godda MLA late Raghunandan Mandal, is contesting the election again on a BJP ticket.
After the death of late Rajendra Singh, who was a Congress MLA from Bermo many times, his sons Jai Mangal and Anoop Singh won the by-election, and this time too the party has given them tickets.
Dilip Singh Namdhari, son of former MLA and Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly Inder Singh Namdhari, is now contesting as an independent candidate from Daltonganj. Amba Prasad is going to try her luck again on a Congress ticket from Barkagaon in Hazaribagh. Her father Yogendra Sao and mother Nirmala Devi have been MLAs from this seat. Amit Yadav is trying to become MLA for the third time from Barkatha, while his father Chitranjan Yadav has also been an MLA from this area.
Devendra Kumar Singh alias Bittu Singh, son of former Congress MLA late Videsh Singh, is contesting the election from Panki seat as an independent candidate. He won his first victory as a Congress candidate in the 2017 by-election. Dinesh William Marandi, son of Simon Marandi, won the Littipara seat on a JMM ticket in 2019, but this time the party has denied his ticket.
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