Voting on Phase IV on Monday, when 15 Assembly seats decide who their representatives to the Vidhan Sabha will be, will reveal if the lotus still blooms in the mines.

The BJP is trying hard to retain its bastion — the coal-mica belt — while the Opposition, including surprise entrant Ajsu Party, is trying to make new gains. The BJP is pitted against the Opposition combine of the JMM-Congress-RJD, as well as its former ally Ajsu Party, the JVM and Marxist Coordination Committee, among others.

Of the 15 seats to vote, 12 were won by BJP in 2014.

While four seats of coal-rich Dhanbad district, Dhanbad, Jharia, Sindri, Baghmara, are held by BJP, Tundi and Nirsa were won by Ajsu and MCC, respectively, in 2014.

Bokaro district, which is rich in coal and iron reserves, will see elections in two of its seats — Bokaro and Chandankyari — both with BJP MLAs at present.

This apart, four out of five Assembly seats of mica-rich Giridih district, including Giridih, Gandey, Jamua and Bagodar, which will go to polls, have BJP MLAs. Only one, Dumri, has a JMM MLA.

Again, two seats of Deoghar district — Madhupur and Deoghar — which will go to polls on Monday are being held by the BJP at present.

The fate of two ministers of the Raghubar Das government, sports minister Amar Bauri (Chandankyari) and labour minister Raj Paliwar (Madhupur) will also be decided on Monday. Bauri is contesting against Ajsu Party Umakant Rajak, among others.

In Dhanbad, all eyes are on Jharia, where sisters-in-law Purnima Singh of the Congress and Ragini Singh of the BJP are locking horns. Purnima is trying to revive the political legacy of her husband, Niraj, shot on March 21, 2017. Ragini, wife of Jharia MLA of BJP, Sanjeev, is trying to win the seat as her husband is behind bars on charges of murdering Niraj.

No less interesting is the fight between Dhanbad Congressman and former minister Mannan Mallick and present BJP MLA Raj Sinha, both of whom traded swipes at each other. Sinha made personal attacks on Mallick’s age; Mallick called Sinha a jumle-baaz.

In Sindri, sitting MLA Phulchand Mandal left the BJP after being denied a ticket by the party. He is now contesting on a JMM ticket from Sindri, against veteran four-time MLA of the MCC Anand Mahto and the BJP’s Indrajit Mahto.

Baghmara seat in Dhanbad is also likely to witness a tough fight between BJP MLA Dhullu Mahto and Congress challenger Jaleshwar Mahto. Dhullu, in the news for attacking his own party leaders such as former Giridih MP Ravindra Pandey, has had to contend against undercurrents of animosity within his party.

BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo claimed they would win “all 15”. His Congress counterpart K.N. Shahdeo also claimed they were on solid ground.