BackJharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren loses by-poll
Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren loses by-poll
PremiumGloomy future: Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren. Subhay Shukla / PTI
(Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren. Subhay Shukla / PTI)
Ranchi: Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren, bidding to enter the state assembly, on Thursday lost the by-election from the Tamar assembly seat to Jharkhand Party candidate Gopal Krishna Patar by some 8,000 votes.
The by-poll was held on 3 January, the counting for which was taken up on Thursday.
Soren, who assumed charge on 27 August, is required to be elected to the assembly within six months by 27 February.
With Patar winning the by-election, the Jharkhand Party increased its tally to two—the other member being its president Enos Ekka, who was sacked by the chief minister on 18 December.
Meanwhile, Soren, also the president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, or JMM, said he would meet the top leadership of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in Delhi and other state allies before taking a final decision on his continuation as chief minister.
“I accept the defeat. I will go to Delhi today (Thursday) or tomorrow and meet the UPA leadership there, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, before taking any decision," Soren said.
Asked whether any UPA ally in the state worked “against" him during the polls, Soren said he had believed every ally during the contest.
On its part, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a UPA ally, on Thursday demanded the immediate resignation of Soren as Jharkhand’s chief minister.
“Soren should accept the verdict of the people and resign immediately," NCP spokesman D.P. Tripati said.
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