Giridih/Ranchi, Aug. 25: Speculation is rife that 58-year-old JMM vice-president Champa Verma and her son Pranav will race for the BJP ticket for the coming Koderma Lok Sabha by-election.

Sources in the party said the mother-son duo will arrive in Ranchi tomorrow afternoon to enrol as BJP members.

Verma had deserted the party before the last Lok Sabha elections after it gave the ticket to Babulal Marandi, who won the seat. Champa Verma joined JMM and fought the polls unsuccessfully.

Pranav, so far, has not been associated with any party although he has been actively campaigning for his father and then her mother.

“A major section of the party thinks that the mother would be a better choice than the son. Moreover, the electorate still has sympathy with her since the demise of her husband, Ritlal Verma, who had won the seat five times in the past,” quipped a senior state BJP leader.

BJP sources said the final decision on the party candidate for the Koderma polls would be taken soon after a formal notification by the Election Commission.

Talking to The Telegraph, Pranav confirmed that both of them would be filing forms at the party office tomorrow.

Sources said the mother-son duo was eager to join the BJP since their arch political rival, Babulal Marandi, left the party in May.

Strangely, state BJP president, Yadunath Pandey was not willing to discuss the issue at this juncture.

If the BJP sources are to be believed, Pandey himself is interested in contesting the Koderma polls. And Champa Verma’s re-entry could jeopardise the state BJP chief’s game plan.

Despite speculation, BJP leader Shailendra Mahto did not tender his resignation. Mahto was supposed to submit his resignation letter to the party high command in Delhi.