BJP nominates former MLA for bypoll to Jharkhand’s Mandar seat

Our party is going to win the by-election with thumping majority, state BJP spokesperson Pratul Sahdeo told PTI.By-election to the assembly segment was necessitated after MLA Bandhu Tirkey was disqualified as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on April 8, following his conviction in a corruption case A special CBI court had on March 28 sentenced Tirkey, a former minister in the state government, to three years in jail for possessing disproportionate assets.Kujur had been the member of the Assembly from Mandar seat from 2014 and 2019.

The BJP on Saturday named former MLA Gangotri Kujur as its candidate for the upcoming by-election to Mandar assembly seat here.

Polling is scheduled on June 23 and votes will be counted three days later.

''The BJP central leadership has approved the candidature of Kujur for the by-election to Mandar constituency. Our party is going to win the by-election with thumping majority,'' state BJP spokesperson Pratul Sahdeo told PTI.

By-election to the assembly segment was necessitated after MLA Bandhu Tirkey was disqualified as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on April 8, following his conviction in a corruption case A special CBI court had on March 28 sentenced Tirkey, a former minister in the state government, to three years in jail for possessing disproportionate assets.

Kujur had been the member of the Assembly from Mandar seat from 2014 and 2019. She was, however, denied ticket in 2019.

The Congress has fielded Shilpi Neha Tirkey daughter of Bandhu Tirkey, from the seat, who earlier in the week filed her nomination in the presence of party leaders Avinash Kumar and Rajesh Thakur and Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM Hemant Soren.

The CM had said Tirkey filed her nomination papers as a contender of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) – comprising the JMM, the Congress and the RJD.