Soren's pari-war: Will Hemant contest against estranged sister-in-law Sita in Dumka?

NEW DELHI: The Dumka Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand, represented several times by JMM patriarch Shibu Soren , could see an interesting battle involving his two family members in the upcoming elections.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren , who is currently in jail following his arrest by Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, could be fielded against his estranged sister-in-law Sita Soren , who is the BJP candidate in Dumka constituency.

Champai Soren, who took charge as chief minister after Hemant's arrest, said the party will soon take a call on fielding the former chief minister from Dumka. He also claimed that great injustice has been done to Hemant.

“BJP-led forces may have succeeded in putting him behind bars but the tribals of Jharkhand will show the Bharatiya Janata Party the exit door in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. We are more than confident of winning all 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state," Champai Soren said.

Meanwhile, Sita Soren, who joined the BJP earlier this month, has launched an all-out attack against her family members. Sita has alleged "continued neglect and isolation" by the JMM and has also claimed that Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana had "insulted" her.

Sita is the wife of Shibu Soren's elder son Durga Soren who died in 2009. She has now demanded high-level probe into the "mysterious death" of her husband.

"The change that came in our lives after my husband's death was no less than a nightmare. We were neglected and isolated socially and politically," Sita has claimed.

Launching a scathing attack on JMM, Sita accused the party of "deviating from its principle and indulging in corruption".

For the JMM, selecting a candidate for Dumka could be a tough call. The party would be wary of the political consequences in case a family member loses to BJP's Sita Soren in Shibu Soren's stronghold.