The JMM which is leading a Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand finally decided to extend support to NDA Presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu for the President’s election scheduled on July 18.

JMM president and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren, who had been authorised by the party in its last month meeting to take decision on the issue of extending support to President’s nominee Droupadi Murmu (NDA) or to Opposition backed Yashwant Sinha (of which the JMM is a part technically) on Thursday evening at around 5.30 pm issued a letter addressed to party leaders extending support to Murmu.

“As you are aware that for the ensuing President’s poll, Jharkhand’s former governor and tribal woman Droupadi Murmu is a candidate and it would be the first occasion since Independence that a tribal woman would don the President’s chair.

“Hence, after deliberation the party has decided to vote in support of Droupadi Murmu,” the letter states.

Hemant Soren. File photo

“All MPs and MLAs of the party are directed to vote for Droupadi Murmu in the President’s election,’ the letter adds.

Congress leaders who were expecting this decision after the red-carpet welcome extended by chief minister Hemant Soren when Murmu visited Shibu Soren at Ranchi on July 4 refused any comment.

“We would prefer not to comment on the JMM stand. We only know that AICC has informed us about arrival of Opposition President’s candidate Yashwant Sinha to Ranchi on July 16 for a meeting with party MLAs and MPs. We are gearing up for the meeting,” said Jharkhand Congress legislative party leader and state rural development minister Alamgir Alam.

Inside sources in the Congress admitted that they were expecting the decision sooner or later.

“We can understand the JMM compulsion behind the decision. Murmu is a Santhali tribal woman from Odisha and the JMM cannot suffer backlash from tribal vote bank by deciding not to support her. The decision was on expected line,” said a senior Congress leader based in Ranchi.

The JMM has 30 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly and three MPs.

The Congress has 17 legislators and one MP and the RJD has one MLA in the Assembly.