Dhanbad: Midway through the Jharkhand assembly poll it’s clear no single party is going to sweep. It has become a bare-knuckled fight with the regional outfits holding the key to the outcome.
The ruling BJP is facing a two-pronged challenge: one from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led by former CM Hemant Soren, and the other from erstwhile ally All Jharkhand Students Union led by Sudesh Mahato.
In the absence of a bipolar contest, the fight is down to each constituency and each candidate.
In tribal stretches like Dumka to Dhanbad, the JMM has the advantage in a direct contest with the BJP. Even in Dumka, whe-re Mr Soren lost in 2014, the going this time looks tough for the new BJP candidate, Louis Marandi.
Similarly, in neighbouring Jamah, Sibu Soren’s daughter-in-law Sita Soren is taking on the BJP’s Sur-esh Murmu. In Murmu’s words, “in tribal areas like these, national issues like Ram Temple do not matter. Here, it is localised and a fight for tribal votes”.
A similar scene prevails in neighbouring Nallah and Jamtara constituencies.
However, it is in urban and semi-urban areas like Dhanbad and Jharia where the BJP still holds sway. A visit to the BJP office in Jharia — clearly one of the best buildings in this decaying township — workers are gung-ho about the Ram Temple verdict and candidates are trying to encash the Modi magic, which still works wonders.
Vinay Kumar Singh, BJP election committee head for Jharia, says: “It is the Modi factor all the way. His good work will see the party through”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally on December 12. Six assembly constituencies in Dhana-bad go to polls on Decem-ber 16. The way the ruling party is using Modi as a crutch to navigate the polls shows the apprehension of anger against Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Most voters this reporter spoke with say the vote against the BJP would be a vote against Das and not the central leadership (read Modi). “This time it is more of a Raghubar Hatao campaign,” says Naresh Bhagat of the AJSU, in charge of the election in Chandankiyari constituency.
However, except in constituencies like Jamshedpur, the going seems easy for the BJP in most urban seats where its rival is mostly the Congress party.
It is in rural and tribal belts where the BJP is facing a tough fight from the JMM and in places from the AJSU. And wherever the AJSU is not mounting a strong challenge, it is likely to eat into BJP votes, thus helping the JMM rush ahead.
