Shibu Soren heads towards defeat at Dumka; JMM accepts NDA's

As eight-time MP and JMM president Shibu Soren is heading towards losing the Dumka (ST) seat to BJPs Sunil Soren, the party Thursday said it accepted the BJP-led NDA victory with respect. The JMM accepts the mandate given to the BJP and extends congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP workers. The people have given the mandate on national context and believed that in future the people's mandate will be constructive for the JMM in the interest of the state, the party said in a statement here.

It further said that the party has taken the defeat of Shibu Soren as a challenge and the party workers have taken a pledge that the BJP would be defeated in all the 18 assembly segments in the Santhal Pargana region in assembly elections scheduled later this year. The party will review the results, it said.

Soren is trailing by 42,907 votes and the official announcement of the result has not yet been made. Soren is popularly known as "Guruji" was seeking entry into Parliament for the ninth term.

The JMM's sitting MP, Vijay Kumar Hansda, is leading against his nearest BJP rival Hemlal Murmu from the Rajmahal (ST) seat The JMM, Congress, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and the RJD had a pre-poll Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).