Dissent in JMM: Littipara MLA gives Hemant Soren the cold shoulder

DUMKA: Chief minister Hemant Soren had to face embarrassment on Tuesday as he was made to wait for almost an hour to meet dissident JMM MLA Simon Marandi in Littipara (Pakur), who finally did not turn up.
According to insiders, Hemant was there to attend an election meeting in Ranipur, the native village of local Littipara MLA Simon Marandi, who derided turncoat Vijay Hasda's nomination from Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat.
Party sources said Hemant rushed to Simon's home leaving the election meeting midway in a bid to placate him but had to return home empty-handed even after waiting for almost an hour. The CM also tried to establish contact with Simon over phone but the latter did not entertain his calls.
Simon, who wished to field his son Dinesh Marandi from Rajmahal, has already vented his ire against the decision of the party to field Hasda and is mobilizing JMM cadres against his candidature.
Already panic-stricken after his party lost majority, Hemant is trying his best to prevent further defection.
His move to rush to Simon's native place on Tuesday is being viewed as damage control exercise so as to save his government which is already facing severe crisis.
Simon, according to one of his close aides, has made it a point to secure defeat of JMM candidate from Rajmahal in a bid to teach a lesson to Hemant, who was instrumental in distributing tickets to the LS candidates.
Although Hemant denied any tension with Simon while addressing the election meeting, sources said he had to return unceremoniously from Simon's home on Tuesday. Talking to reporters, Hemant said, "No one was above the party and one and all should obey party's decision. If someone goes against the party it will hardly matter."
Meanwhile, JMM's Rahmahal candidate Vijay Hasda filed his nomination papers in Sahebganj in the presence of Soren and other party leaders but Simon, who has been escaping the media for a while, was conspicuous by his absence.