Jamshedpur, Jan. 14: After chief minister Arjun Munda got his Kharsawan by-election date on Wednesday, rivals have launched an impetuous search for a “suitable” Ho candidate to take him on.

The Congress-JVM combine is working in tandem with the Adivasi Ho Samaj Mahasabha to fail Munda who they believe has lost the confidence of tribals for his allegedly pro-capitalist stance. Interestingly, Munda, also a BJP MP, has won this Assembly seat thrice in a row since 1995.

Damodar Hansda, a senior functionary of the Adivasi body, conceded that after the Election Commission marked February 10 for Kharsawan bypoll on Wednesday, they had intensified their search for a consensus candidate either from the Congress or its ally, the JVM.

“We are seriously trying to field a local candidate, preferably from the Ho community. But since there is no prominent Ho member in the Congress or the JVM, we may consider the candidature of even a Santhal,” he said.

The Ho leader revealed that they had shortlisted five candidates, including a Santhal and a Munda. “We will hold a crucial meeting on January 16 to finalise name to be recommended for candidature,” he said, adding that a meeting in this regard had already been held with Congress state president Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu in Seraikela on January 9.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Balmuchu confirmed that he had met the Adivasi body leaders in Kharsawan to discuss the matter. “We held talks with functionaries of the Adivasi body as they want the party to field a candidate who will have the support of the Ho community in the by-election,” he said. But he added that the process of selecting a candidate would take some time.

The Kharsawan seat fell vacant after former MLA Mangal Singh Soy resigned from his post to pave the way for the chief minister to contest.

The Adivasi Ho Samaj Mahasabha is intently inclined to have a common candidate from the Congress and JVM so that Ho votes are not divided, giving Munda advantage. Names of Sanatan Singh Kuntia and Chotrai Kisku of Congress, former deputy superintendent of police Rameswar Taisum, Krishna Gagrai and Vasco Besra are doing the rounds. (see chart)

Kisku, a former BJP member had contested from the Kharsawan seat in 2009 with a ticket from Jai Bharat Samanta Party, which was floated by former chief minister Madhu Koda.

Taisum and Gagrai are likely to vie for a JVM ticket. Meanwhile, Besra had also garnered nearly 25,000 votes from Kharsawan in 2009.