Kalpana Soren, the wife of former chief minister and JMM executive president Hemant Soren, has started preparing the groundwork for the Gandey bypoll, even though the party has not officially announced her as the candidate.

After a ‘successful’ entry into the political arena during her maiden address to party workers at Giridih on March 4, the JMM had silently used a private agency to conduct a public survey in Jharkhand on whether Kalpana’s entry into politics would benefit the party in the state, in which a high number of respondents nodded that she would have an impact in state’s polity.

“Her speech on March 4 at Giridih (Gandey Assembly constituency falls under the Giridih district) drew huge praise not only from the party leaders but also from general masses and was a success. Thereafter, a private agency conducted an opinion-based survey among respondents of the state on whether Kalpana ji’s entry into politics would benefit the party and a significant number (nearly 40 per cent) agreed that she would help the party’s fortune in the elections,” said a senior Ranchi-based JMM leader considered close to both Hemant and present chief minister Champai Soren.

“We immediately decided to make her the party’s face in the Lok Sabha polls apart from her contesting the Gandey bypoll. She would be campaigning for all JMM candidates in the Lok Sabha polls and if needed for other INDIA bloc candidates too. Based on our party leaders’ feedback, her speeches have won appreciation from a significant section of the non-tribal women populace which will help our cause during the polls.

“She has already started meeting party leaders and masses in Gandey Assembly constituencies in the last few days,” added the leader.

Though the JMM is yet to officially announce Kalpana as the party candidate for the Gandey bypoll, the party central spokesperson and Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar said: “She would be the party candidate for Gandey bypoll. Official announcement will be made soon.”

The bypoll for the Gandey Assembly seat became necessary as it fell vacant following the resignation of the JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad on December 31. Sarfaraz Ahmad was recently elected to Rajya Sabha from INDIA bloc earlier this month.

Hemant was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31 night after his resignation before the governor over an alleged money laundering charge on land scam. He is at present under judicial custody at Ranchi Central Jail.

Kalpana, who is managing Hemant’s social media handles, has been active in not only reacting to national political happenings but also drawing sympathy with posts during festive occasions of missing Hemant.

In the Gandey Assembly constituency, she met the
family of the deceased JMM former MLA and also interacted with supporters last
week.

The BJP, which has announced candidates for 13 out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand (leaving Giridih seat for its ally AJSU’s sitting MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary), is yet to announce its candidate for the Gandey
bypoll.