Rebel candidates increase worries of the BJP as it aspires to wrest power from the JMM-led ruling coalition (along with Congress, RJD and new entrant CPI-ML) in a closely fought two-phased Jharkhand Assembly poll next month.
In at least three seats among the constituencies where nominations were completed earlier this week, the BJP dissidents appear to eat into the vote share of the party’s official candidates.
“Hectic parleys continue for the three seats to convince the rebels to withdraw their candidature. However, all our efforts have been in vain so far. Jharkhand Assembly election co-in-charge and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had to rush to Jagannathpur to convince a rebel Mangal Singh Gilua to withdraw his candidature and also pacify resentment among cadres in Chaibasa. But our worries for the three crucial seats continue,” said a Ranchi-based senior BJP leader.
The leader confided that the BJP rebels in three seats are angry at being denied tickets and are contesting as Independents. The three rebels include the emerging tribal face of the BJP in the Gumla-Lohardaga region, Misir Kujur who is contesting as an Independent from Gumla (ST reserved), BJP leader Niranjan Rai holding significant clout among voters in Dhanwar and Satyanand Jha from Nala.
Former Union minister of state for tribal affairs Sudarshan Bhagat is the BJP’s candidate for Gumla while former chief minister and BJP state chief Babulal Marandi is contesting from Dhanwar and Madhav Chandra Mahato is the candidate from Nala.
“Newly nominated state party working president Ravinder Rai has a good term with Niranjan Rai and has been given the task of persuading him to withdraw the nomination. Four-term Godda MP Nishikant Dubey had also met Niranjan Rai recently. However, as of Wednesday evening, Niranjan Rai has not yet withdrawn his nomination,” said a BJP leader.
Senior BJP leaders have also tried to persuade Misir Kujur, but he has refused to listen to them and is yet to withdraw his nomination.
Former MLA from Nala Satyanand Jha is also adamant as on Wednesday evening to contest as an Independent.
The presence of the rebels might give sitting MLA from Gumla and JMM leader Bhusan Tirkey an advantage while sitting MLA and Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato will get an advantage in the Nala constituency.
Dhanwar has two ruling coalition candidates JMM’s Neejamuddin Ansari and CPI-ML Rajkumar Yadav in fray.
On Wednesday after several efforts, the BJP managed to convince Independent candidates Sandeep Verma and Munchun Rai to withdraw their candidature for the Ranchi Assembly seat which will witness the BJP’s existing MLA and veteran leader C.P. Singh bracing for a close fight with the JMM’s Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji.
Assam chief minister and BJP’s Jharkhand Assembly poll co-in-charge Sarma rushed to Chaibasa on Wednesday and held a closed-door meeting with dissident leaders in Chaibasa who were angry at the party’s candidate selection (Geeta Balmuchu) for Chaibasa (ST reserved) seat which has JMM’s cabinet minister Deepak Birua in fray.
After the meeting, Sarma claimed that there was no resentment.
Sarma also met BJP ST Morcha state committee member and influential leader in Jagannathpur Mangal Singh Gilua who had filed a nomination as an Independent against the party’s candidate Geeta Koda. After the meeting, Gilua later in the evening withdrew his nomination.
