Late Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh’s son, Kumar Jaimangal will be the grand old party’s candidate for Bermo, byelection for which is scheduled to be held, along with Dumka, on November 3.

Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey said, “The party’s state election committee after a meeting on October 7 had proposed a panel of names to central leadership. The central leadership has decided on Jaimangal.”

He said the nominee would file nominations sometime next week. Congress’s ally, JMM will be contesting from Dumka, for which it had announced Basant Soren, chief minister Hemant Soren’s younger brother, as candidate, last week. Basant will file his nomination on October 12.

Opposition BJP is yet to name its candidates. Sources in the saffron camp said that the central leadership is expected to make formal announcement soon. “The central leadership is currently busy with Bihar assembly elections. It will announce names for the two bypolls here anytime now,” said a state BJP leader.

Unlike last year’s Assembly elections, the BJP is upbeat after its decades-old ally, AJSU-P, extended support for the coming bypolls.

For the ruling grand alliance of the JMM, Congress and RJD, the bypolls will be a litmus test of its popularity since it took charge. The Dumka Assembly seat fell vacant after chief minister Hemant Soren gave it up and retained Barhait. A byelection is necessary in Bermo since sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh died in May.

JMM names Bihar candidates

The JMM announced names of candidates for five seats it is contesting in Bihar. As per a party notification, Elizabeth Soren will fight from Chakai, Ajit Kumar from Jhaja, Anjela Hansda in Katoria, Fulmani Hembrom in Manihari and Ashok Kumar Hansda from Damdaha.

After severing ties with the RJD in the context of Bihar elections on October 6, the JMM had announced that it would contest seven seats initially but take a call on more seats in a phased manner.