Hope BJP will support our Rajya Sabha candidate: JMM

Ranchi, March 26 (IANS) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Monday expressed hope that alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would vote for its candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll scheduled March 30.

"Talks with central BJP leaders were positive and we hope BJP will vote in the RS poll," Deputy Chief Minister and JMM chief Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren told reporters after returning from New Delhi.

Soren had gone to New Delhi Friday evening to meet central BJP leaders, including party chief Nitin Gadkari and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, and persuade them to change their stand to abstain from voting.

The BJP last week had announced it would abstain from voting after central leaders had expressed unhappiness over supporting NRI businessman Anshuman Mishra, who was contesting as an independent. Mishra withdrew his nomination last week after BJP decided to abstain from voting.

Shibu Soren had also earlier appealed to the BJP to vote for the JMM candidate in the poll.

Five candidates including two independents are in the poll fray for two seats from the state. The five candidates are Sanjiv Kumar of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Pradeep Balmuchu of Congress, Praveen Kumar Singh of Jharkhand Vikash Morcha-Prajatantrik, and two Independents, R.K. Agarwal and Pawan Kumar Dhut.