Sita free to bring up husband's death issue but why now: Shibu Soren's daughter Anjani

A day after Sita Soren, sister-in-law of jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, demanded a high-level inquiry into her husband Durga Soren's death, JMM patriarch Shibu Soren's daughter Anjani questioned the timing of bringing up the issue and wondered why she was silent earlier.

Shibu Soren's elder daughter-in-law Sita Soren, who joined the BJP earlier this month alleging ''continued neglect and isolation'' by the JMM, on Thursday demanded a high-level probe into the death of her husband ''under mysterious circumstances''.

''She (Sita) is free to blame anyone but why is she raking up the issue now and did not say anything that time (during Durga Soren's death),'' Anjani Soren, the JMM's Odisha unit president who is set to contest from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat in the neighbouring state, said.

''We will not make Dumka seat a family issue but we (JMM) will contest from there to serve the people as Dumka is our traditional stronghold,'' Anjani Soren told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Interestingly, the BJP announced Sita Soren's candidature from the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency on March 24, recalling the name of sitting MP Sunil Soren, which was announced in the first list.

Sita Soren is a three-term MLA from Jama constituency.

Notably, Sunil Soren defeated Shibu Soren by 47,590 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speculations are rife that the JMM may field Hemant Soren, who is now in prison, from the prestigious Dumka seat.

The former CM was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, after he resigned.

Sita Soren has also alleged that Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren had ''insulted'' her.

''My husband Durga Soren, who shed his blood and sweat to strengthen JMM, died under mysterious circumstances. I demand a high-level probe into his death,'' Sita had said on Thursday.

Sita Soren said she had been demanding a probe into her husband's death which fell into deaf years all these years and alleged that her family was ''neglected and isolated'' after his death and the experiences were horrific.

Durga Soren died in 2009 in Bokaro.

Anjani Soren said that the JMM will contest from two parliamentary seats -- Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh -- besides 15 assembly seats in Odisha in tribal-dominated areas in Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Balasore, Keonjhar and Jajpur districts.

In Jharkhand, she said, the JMM was confident of victory in five seats, namely Dumka, Rajmahal, Singhbhum, Giridih and Jamshedpur.

She hit out at the Odisha government over poverty and unemployment among people, especially tribals.

''Mere good roads and drains are not the symbols of development,'' she added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)