CPI releases first list of candidates for Jharkhand Assembly elections

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 22 : CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak released the list of candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly polls.
This comes as the party expressed disappointment over the current seat-sharing arrangement of the INDIA bloc. Pathak said that the party would field candidates on a total of 15 seats for the Jharkhand Assembly polls.
Mahendra Pathak said, "We have been a part of the INDIA alliance. We had contacted the big leaders of both JMM and Congress regarding seat sharing and were also given assurances but we were disappointed. That is why we have decided to field our candidates on 15 Assembly seats in Jharkhand. Today we are announcing our candidates for some seats."
According to the list, CPI has fielded Kanhai Chandramal Pahadiya from the Nala Assembly, Chhaya from Sarath Assembly, Mahadev Ram from Barkatha Assembly, Ruchir Tiwari from Daltonganj, Santosh Kumar Rajak from Kanke, Suresh Kumar Bhuiya from Simaria, Doman Bhuiya from Chatra, Mahendra Oraon will contest from Bishanpur, Ghanshyam Pathak is fighting from Bhawanathpur.
He further said that candidates from the remaining seats -- Ranchi, Mandu, Barkagaon Hazaribagh, and Poreyahat will be announced after two days.
He also said that ahead of the elections, the Jharkhand government and BJP were trying to mislead the people by promising to distribute freebies. "The state government has disappointed the youth here for 5 years, we will contest elections outside the alliance," Pathak said.
The Assembly elections in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23, Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday.
Earlier, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, accompanied by Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir announced that the JMM and the Congress would share 70 seats between them, and the RJD and Left parties would split the remaining 11.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Sunday criticized the "unilateral decision" of the Congress-JMM alliance.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its first list of 66 candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections on Saturday.
The party's state chief, Babulal Marandi, will contest from Dhanwar, Lobin Hembrom from Borio, and Sita Soren from Jamtara. Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Champai Soren has been nominated as the candidate from Saraikella, Geeta Balmuchu from Chaibasa, Geeta Koda from Jaganathpur, and Meera Munda, the wife of Union Minister Arjun Munda will contest from Potka.
Voting for the 81 seats of the Jharkhand assembly will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with votes to be counted on November 23.