Congress candidate should be UPA's nominee in Koderma by-poll

Ranchi, Aug 30 (UNI) With byelection to Koderma Parliamentary seat drawing near, the date of which remained to be fixed, the Congress today asserted that the party's nominee should be in the fray as a UPA candidate.

As reports were suggesting that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Left parties might support Mr Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (Democratic), Congress state president Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu wondered over the development, saying if the UPA stood at all.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Balmuchu claimed that with both BJP and Mr Marandi, a BJP deserter, in the battle of ballots, the saffron brigade's vote bank would split leading to victory of the Congress nominee.

In 1984 and 1999 polls the Congress candidate won the seat, he said.

On September one, the state Congress leaders would meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi urging her to prevail upon the coalition allies to give support to Congress candidate in the bypoll, Mr Balmuchu said.

With reported statement of various UPA allies like JMM and RJD seeking to field their respective candidates, he said it was the was the decision of the parties at state level but final decision of theirs would be taken by central leadership only.

He said names of four nominees from the party were being discussed and it would be placed before the party high command for final decision.

The Koderma Parliamentary seat comprises six Assembly constituents - Bagedar, Gandeya, Dhanbad, Jamua, Barkatta and Koderma. The party does not have any representative in them.

The seat fell vacant following Mr Marandi's resignation from Lok Sabha. Mr Marandi was the lone BJP winner out of 14 total seats in the state in the last Parliamentary elections.

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