Couple vying for Congress ticket for Jharkhand seat

Ranchi, March 22 (IANS) Among ticket seekers from the Congress for Jharkhand’s Lohardagga parliamentary seat which is reserved for the tribal community, a high profile couple is ready to try their luck.
“Former IPS officer and Congress in charge of Chhattisgarh Arun Oraon and his wife Geetasree are willing to get ticket from Congress for the Lohardagga seat,” a party source told IANS.
“However, nothing could be ascertained right now,” he said.
The constituency was represented by Union Minister and BJP MP Sudarshan Bhagat in the 16th Lok Sabha.
Arun Oraon sought voluntary retirement before the 2014 Lok Sabha election to contest the polls. He, however, could not get a ticket then while Geetasree served as Education Minister in the Hemant Soren government.
Two other Congress leaders — former Central Minister and ex-IPS official Rameshwar Oraon and party legislator Sukhdeo Bhagat — are also trying to grab a ticket from Lohardagga constituency.
Rameshwar Oraon won the 2004 Lok Sabha election from the constituency on a Congress ticket and served as a Union Minister in the Manmohan Singh government.
The Congress is likely to announce candidates for Jharkhand after a formal announcement of the grand alliance. The Congress, the JMM, the JVM-P and the RJD have entered into a seat sharing pact for the 14 parliamentary constituencies in Jharkhand. The formal announcement of the grand alliance may take place on March 24.
Voting will be held in the state in four phases — April 29 and May 6, 12 and 19.
–IANS
ns/rs/bg