This story is from May 14, 2018

Jharkhand assembly bypolls: 23 candidates in fray

As many as 23 candidates in total are in contest for the upcoming by-elections in Silli and Gomia seats of Jharkhand Assembly on May 28.
Jharkhand assembly bypolls: 23 candidates in fray
RANCHI: As many as 23 candidates in total are in contest for the upcoming by-elections for Silli and Gomia seats of Jharkhand Assembly on May 28.
Sudesh Mahto, the chief of AJSU-party, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Seema Mahto are the front-runners for the Silli assembly seat in Ranchi district. In all, 10 candidates are contesting for the seat which fell vacant after JMM legislator Amit Mahto’s membership was terminated in March following his conviction in a criminal case of 2006.
Other candidates in Silli include Jyoti Prasad of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, Sanjay Prasad of Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) and Sitaram Munda of Jharkhand Disom Party.
Five candidates are also contesting in Silli independently.
“Eleven candidates had filed their nominations for contesting the polls. One of them withdrew his nomination,” Ranchi deputy commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said after the window for withdrawing nominations closed on Monday evening.
The Gomia seat in Bokaro, which is going to polls following the disqualification of its sitting MLA Yogendra Mahto in February this year, will witness a three-pronged contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, its NDA ally AJSU party and JMM. While BJP has fielded Madhav Lal Singh while ex-state government employee Lambodar Mahto is fighting on AJSU-P ticket. JMM has fielded Mahto’s wife Babita Devi.
The window for withdrawal of nominations for the Gomia seat also closed on Monday. Bokaro deputy commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Barnawal said the nomination papers of two candidates were cancelled during the scrutiny. “In all, 16 candidates had filed nominations. Of them, one withdrew his papers and two were cancelled,” Barnawal added.
It has been learnt that Inamul Haque Ansari, an independent candidate, withdrew his papers in support of JMM candidate Babita Devi, leaving 13 candidates in fray for the seat.
The elections are to be held on May 28 and the results for both the seats will be declared on May 31. The campaigning will come to a close in the evening of May 26.
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