I will not contest Assembly elections from Jamshedpur : Dr Ajoy

Jamshedpur: Former Jamshedpur MP Dr Ajoy Kumar scotched all rumours about his plans to contest the Assembly elections in Jharkhand by denying any such possibility.

�There is no chance that I will ever contest the Assembly elections in Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum) or elsewhere in the state. It has never passed my mind that I should contest the state elections,� said the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha leader while speaking to The Avenue Mail over phone on Friday.

Asked about his plans to quit the JVM, the former IPS officer confirmed that he was in touch with the Congress leaders in New Delhi. On whether he was ready to go to the Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket, he evaded making a direct answer.

�After the results of the Parliamentary elections at Jamshedpur this year, I cannot find a suitable role for myself to serve the people there in the constituency. But I want to do a lot for the people at a bigger level. I can work better nationally for the development of Jharkhand if I get a Rajya Sabha ticket,� said Kumar.

The ex-MP said the people of Jamshedpur had denied him a second stint as MP despite his hard work during his short-lived tenure. �The voters did not elect me as the MP notwithstanding all my sincere labour. Now I want to serve the people on a bigger platform at national level and unite the anti-BJP forces in Jharkhand,� he said.

According to sources, Kumar is in talks with Congress high-ups in New Delhi and that he could be given a key responsibility in the party such as the national spokesperson. Speculations are also rife about the former MP expecting a Rajya Sabha ticket from Karnataka. The JVM leader said whatever would be his decision, he would take it with the consent of Babulal Marandi.

While the former cop seemed all set to find a bigger role in politics, his colleagues in the JVM admitted that he was a leader of formidable stature in the organization. �I have no such knowledge of Dr Ajoy planning to quit the party or joining the Congress. He is no doubt a leader of influence for the JVM.

His quitting the party would certainly leave some impact on the organization,� said the legislative group leader of JVM and MLA of Poraiyahaat.

The JVM leader however said the party was unfazed by the quitting of the four party MLAs, Samresh Singh of Bokaro, Nirbhay Kumar Shahabadi of Giridih, Jai Prakash Bhokta of Simariya and Chadrika Mehta of Jamua, Giridih.

He said the party had accepted the resignation of these legislators who had joined the BJP recently and that no recommendation would be made to cancel their Assembly membership on behalf of the JVM.