Jailed ex-CM's wife Kalpana Soren trailing in J'khand's Gandey bypoll

Ranchi: Jailed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren is trailing in Gandey Assembly bypoll by a margin of 1,939 votes against her nearest BJP rival Dileep Kumar Verma after the first round of counting, according to the Election Commission.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad.

Kalpana had embarked on a political journey at the 51st foundation day celebration of JMM in Giridih district on March 4, claiming that a conspiracy had been orchestrated by opponents ever since the Hemant Soren coalition government came to power in 2019.

Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, subsequent to his resignation as CM.

Ever since her joining public life, she has been a prominent face in INDIA bloc rallies and campaigned for the alliance in the state.

The saffron party in the state has been attacking Kalpana saying that Champai Soren was a "caretaker and puppet chief minister" while she was the "centre of power" in Jharkhand.