The Hindu : National : Party to give Ekka more time

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Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

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National

Party to give Ekka more time

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15 . The Jharkhand Party, whose lone MLA, Enos Ekka, helped swing the head count in favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Jharkhand Assembly, is still hoping that he will switch support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The Jharkhand Party president, N. E. Horo, and a veteran of the movement for a separate state, is still not convinced that Mr. Ekka will defy "his community" and party by staying with the NDA.

"We won't file a case against Enos for defying my whip. As party president, I want to give him some more time. There is still scope for him to return to the party," says Mr. Horo. Aware that Mr. Ekka has two supporters, including a contractor from his constituency of Kolebeira who was briefly his business partner along with a former Jharkhand Party office-bearer, Mr. Horo nevertheless maintains that Mr. Ekka has been in the party for only two years and any harsh action against him should be avoided. He has also refused to associate with a UPA attempt to take the issue to court.

Symbol issue

Responding to NDA's reasoning that Mr. Horo's whip does not apply to Mr. Ekka since he fought on a symbol different from that of the Jharkhand Party, Mr. Horo admits that was the case. But he blames the electoral returning officer for it. Another candidate had also expressed his preference for the "drum" which is "our symbol" but is not reserved. As a result, the returning officer went for a toss of the coin and the other candidate was given the drum symbol, while Mr. Ekka contested on the "aeroplane" symbol. "But that does not mean he is not from our party. We had given a letter stating that he is our authorised candidate," adds Mr. Horo.

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