BJP lost Santhal Pargana seats to 'internal rivalry'

DUMKA: A Bharatiya Janata Party MP on Thursday blamed internal rivalry for losing two parliamentary seats in Santhal Pargana division.
Godda MP Nishikant Dubey said it was surprising that BJP candidates from Dumka and Rajmahal Lok Sabha seats in Santhal Pargana were defeated in the election despite NaMo wave.
"I have come to know from reliable sources that a section of BJP cadres were misled by senior leaders and worked against the candidature of the party's official nominees in at least all the three lok sabha seats of santhal Pargana.The role of such leaders have come to to the notice of the central leadership and they will have to bear the brunt of their ire," Dubey said, adding that candidature of those responsible for this would be cancelled in the assembly elections.
BJP managed to secure 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats ? Dumka and Rajmahal went to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Shibu Soren and Vijay Hansda, respectively.
The state leadership had blamed respective district administration for allegedly queering BJP's pitch. Dubey is the first leader to talk about internal rivalry in public.
Dumka BJP candidate Sunil Soren, who was defeated by a margin of around 40,000 votes, has even moved the high court challenging the result of Dumka Lok Sabha election.
"It is for sure that the Dumka district administration danced to the tunes of the chief minister who campaigned here for his father and Rajmahal candidate, Vijay Hansda misusing his authority but at the same time the role of senior party leaders working against the party candidates has also come to the light," Dubey said without naming anyone.
Dubey went on to say such defecting party leaders under no circumstances would be provided party ticket in the assembly election and that he would convince the central party leadership personally about it.
Though Dubey did not name anyone but BJP insiders said he was pointing towards the national secretary of the party, Louis Marandi, who is said to be close to the former chief minister Arjun Munda and was also a strong contender for the party ticket for Dumka Lok Sabha seat.
Louis is now believed to be aspiring for Dumka Assembly seat but the prevailing rift within the party is all set to dampen the prospect of BJP candidates in santhal pargana in Assembly election as well as results of Lok Sabha election in which two out of three seats of the region were bagged by JMM.
Louis rejected the claims and said Dubey did not name anyone responsible for anti-party activities.