The election for Simdega Assembly seat is a do or die one for Jharkhand Party chief Anosh Ekka, the so-called Christian vote influencer who can't contest the election following his conviction in a murder case.

Blessed with scenic beauty and cursed with Left-wing extremism, the constituency is witnessing a triangular contest between Shradhanand Besra of the BJP, Bhushan Bara of the Congress supported by the JMM and the RJD, and Rezi Dungdung of the Jharkhand Party. The BJP replaced its sitting MLA, Vimla Pradhan, whom even BJP supporters did not refer to as the epitome of competence. The Congress leaders are smacking their lips, because the party had won the neighboring Kolebira seat during the December 2018 by-election and broke the myth that in Kolebira even birds can't flutter their wings without Ekka's permission.

From Simdega, Ekka has fielded Dungdung, former ADG of Jharkhand police and a local resident. He is mostly viewed as an upright man in the wrong party. His candidature, however, has made the Congress wary of a split in the Christian vote.

'Our revival depends much upon whether or not we win Simdega and Kolebira seats. After all we are Simdega-based party and this is our bastion. Our workers are in war mode and we will win both seats,' said a Jharkhand Party worker.

After Ekka, the Kolebira MLA, was disqualified he fielded his wife, Menan Ekka, in the by-poll. She came third.

Pradhan, the sitting Simdega MLA, is hardly seen in the campaigning and even party workers said that better she stays home.

'It's god that the party has not given the ticket to Pradhan; even BJP supporters would not vote for her,' said BJP worker Raja Sahu, who runs a roadside eatery at Prince Chowk in Simdega town.

BJP insiders are pinning their hopes on Besra, a farmer and low-profile politician who is the son of Nirmal Besra, who represented the constituency for four times for the BJP.

'Nirmalji was a farmer and 42 years back the party picked him from his agricultural field and made him MLA. He is a down to earth man and so is his son,' said BJP worker Rajesh Ekka. Shradhanand Besra said he had not even dreamt that the BJP would select him as candidate.

'I will not belie expectation of party and people. I always visit villages and work for them and that is my capital. Agriculture and education are the key areas where I will focus. State government has done exemplary work in the fields of agriculture and education that must be sustained,' he said.

Simdega district is full of contradictions. In September 2017, it had hogged the national limelight following the starvation death of an 11-year-old girl, Santoshi Devi, at Karimati in Jaldega block. Jaldega is part of the Kolebira Assembly seat. Kurdeg block of the district, under Simdega Assembly seat, is known for producing fine quality rice. But Kurdeg has not been developed as a rice-production hub.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi campaigned for the party candidate in Simdega, but party insiders feel the Jharkhand Party will eat into the Christian votes.

'This party (JP) is basically batting for the BJP. Their sole intention is to divide Christian and tribal votes. But people know their real game plan,' said Naman Bixal Kongari, Congress sitting MLA from Kolebira.

Christian voters make up around half the population in the twin Assembly segments. Nimrodh Ekka, Anosh's cousin who has been entrusted the task to manage the campaign in Simdega, smiled at the allegation of the Congress.

'Why are they so nervous about Jharkhand Party? We are not the party of Christians; we are a party for all. We are the party of the poor. The Congress and other parties are vying for second position,' he said.

It will not be easy for the JMM led Congress and RJD alliance to rule-out Rezi Dungdung. The 1987 batch IPS officer moves freely in rebel-hit villages along with his supporters and gun-toting security guards even after dark.

'I am a native of district and I understand what this constituency lacks,' he said. 'After retirement I did not want to lead the life of a retired bureaucrat... I wanted to do something for my peopleDuring his tenure, he was not famous as someone who goes hammer and tongs at the Naxalites. He also had a reputation of insisting that tribals do not face collateral damage in anti-Maoist operations.

'As ADG (operation) I had coordinated and led many successful operations,' Dungdung said. 'It hardly bothers me if a perception is formed about me. For instance I was trying for the surrender of CPI(Maoist) rebel Kundan Pahan and some people started whispering that I am sympathetic to him. It was part of my duty to persuade such elements to surrender. I am not affected by such rubbish allegationsAs an IPS officer, he had helped two poor tribal students, Mohan Hansda and Anima Minj, pursue careers in engineering and medicine by raising funds for them. He had formed a think tank group named Jagriti Manch -- whose other members were senior bureaucrats like Hemant Toppo and Shital Oraon -- for the welfare of tribals. He had launched a community policing programme in Simdega and other districts among tribal youths.

'The situation is pathetic in the villages,' he said. 'Do you know that for the past six years Simdega College has no teacher of science subjects? That means students of the district can't pursue education in science stream. Education is my priority sector. Kurdeg is producer of rice of finest quality but nothing was done. I want to do something for women self-help groups of the district People had a divided opinion on his candidature.

'Candidates like Dungdung deserve tickets from good political parties. But this is going to be a straight fight between the Congress and the Jharkhand Party,' said Vishal Minj, a student. Simdega votes on December 7.