JMM sails through on sympathy

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) retained the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency in the byelection held on August 29.

JMM candidate Suman Mahato defeated her nearest BJP rival, MLA Dinesh Sarangi, by a margin of 58,816 votes. The Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat had fallen vacant following the killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahato early this year. As was expected, sympathy in favour of the JMM candidate, coupled with dissidence and division in the anti-UPA votes, ensured the victory of the JMM candidate.

There were altogether 12 candidates in the fray. Former BJP MP Abha Mahato and her husband Shailendra Bhagat, who was denied ticket by the party, actively campaigned against Sarangi.