Jamshedpur West is a tale of two “cities”, one spread across Tata Steel’s “command areas” and enjoying the best of civic facilities, and the other grappling with everyday woes from garbage dumps to traffic snarls.

The “command areas” are where Tata Steel’s employees mostly live and where the company provides most of the amenities. The other half — called Mango (pronounced maan-go) — has to depend on the municipal authorities.

Over the past four Assembly elections, the constituency has shuttled alternately between the BJP and the Congress.

“In the Tata Steel command areas, we have some of the best civic facilities not only in Jharkhand but perhaps in the region, with uninterrupted power supply, quality piped water, and proper roads,” said businessman and social worker Mukul Mishra, a resident of Sonari which largely falls in the command areas.

“But in the other areas, there is a problem of waste disposal. The civic body dumps garbage along the Marine Drive (a busy highway), causing pollution. Our local representatives should have taken the matter up with the authorities; unfortunately, it has not so far caught their attention.”

A road in Bistupur in Jamshedpur West Assembly constituency on Tuesday.

Businessman Suresh Sonthalia, former president of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industries and a Sonari resident, agreed that pollution was a concern and added that traffic management was another.

“There are traffic snarls in almost every market area during the peak hours. The worst is the Mango Bridge (a busy bridge that links Mango with Jamshedpur proper),” Sonthalia said.

“Unfortunately, none of our representatives has been able to pressure the state government or Tata Steel into building flyovers. Surprisingly, the industrial city (Jamshedpur) lacks a single flyover.”

Tushar Sahu, a retired Tata Steel employee and Mango resident, echoed him.

“Most of the time we miss our schedules because of traffic jams along the Mango Bridge. We need a flyover at the earliest, whether built by Tata Steel — most of the heavy vehicles carry goods to its factories — or the state government,” he said.

“This apart, the clogged drains ensure that just a handful of showers are enough to cause water-logging. The Mango municipal corporation is interested only in charging fees, it forgets its responsibility to manage waste and regulate traffic and parking space.”

Sudhir Kumar, an advocate who practises at the Jamshedpur court, said the people’s representatives need to address issues relating to law and order and healthcare, too.

“We are fortunate enough to receive good civic facilities, barring a few gripes like waste management. But there should be state-owned wellness clinics so that people don’t have to go to the expensive private hospitals for minor ailments,” the Sonari resident said.

In 2005, 2009 and 2014, the constituency witnessed successive contests between Congress leader and health minister Banna Gupta and former BJP leader Saryu Roy, with neither able to retain it for a consecutive term.

In 2019, Saryu contested as an Independent against former chief minister and current Odisha governor Raghubar Das from Jamshedpur East constituency and won. Gupta won from Jamshedpur West.

But Roy is again in the fray from Jamshedpur West, this time as candidate for BJP ally Janata Dal United. He is again up against Gupta.

Both are confident of victory.

“I have faith in the work I have done for the people as MLA and health minister. The Hemant Soren government’s welfare schemes too will go in my favour,” Gupta said.

Roy said: “The huge support I have received during my campaign suggests anti-incumbency against the MLA, who was also a cabinet minister. The people of the region remember my efforts to solve their problems during my tenure as MLA.”

Muslims make up 30 per cent of the constituency’s voters and have always influenced elections here.

This time, two rebels —Babar Khan, who has dumped the JMM to contest on an AIMIM ticket, and former BJP leader Vikash Singh, now contesting as an Independent — have complicated the situation.

How much of a dent they make in the Muslim and traditional BJP votes is likely to affect the poll outcome.

• Jamshedpur West votes today