Sensing it a battle of his life which is going to decide his political fortune, Congress State president Sukhdeo Bhagat is leaving no stone unturned to secure his win from loharadaga. The leader, who is already camping in the constituency well ahead of any formal announcement for the bypoll has approached his rivals both from within the party and outside.
Sources privy to developments confirmed that Bhagat — facing stiff resistance from a section of senior Congress leaders — extended his arms to them as his last ditch effort.
“He is wary of their role during the election. looking at the importance of the bye-poll in terms of keeping his political stakes afloat, the president last week travelled to Delhi and called upon Dheeraj Sahu and Pradeep Balmuchu at their residences. In the meeting he has requested the leaders to lend their support for him for the sake of the battling party, if not of his,” quipped a general secretary of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
Sukhdeo Bhagat who has lost last two elections narrowly after securing his lone win in 2005 from lohardaga is again in the arena midway. But since seat has turned vacant because of Kamal Kishore Bhagat’s tenure got cut short following his conviction it is being felt that the PCC chief would have to weather sympathy syndrome. Chances are rife that the AJSU would field any family member or close relative of the ousted MlA.
“The situation this time would be doubly tougher for him. That is the reason why he approached his bête noires within the party to at least seal one end. The rival camp of Sukhdeo Bhagat is equally sensing the opportunity to shunt him out. losing elections third time in a trot would be akin to a death knell for him. The faction would trumpet this against him with party high command while portraying this as his inability to drive the Congress on winning track in the State and ultimately as reason to oust him from the post,” added the leader.
Bhagat is known to have uncomfortable relations with the Rajya Sabha members and some of the bigwigs in the party including Rameshwar Oraon, Furkan Ansari and Subodh Kant Sahay to name the few.
The PCC president besides walking extra miles towards Congressmen has also approached Hemant Soren in order to form a joint of likeminded parties for undivided support. “Couple of rounds of talks with Hemant Soren have taken place as well. He is persuading the JMM that the bye-poll can be the best opportunity to put the rousing BJP Government on mat following the Assembly polls. JMM does not have any serious stake at the seat either and hopefully they would relent,” said a close aide of the PCC chief.
This was the reason why the Congress, despite nothing much at stake in the Rajya Sabha poll in July, supported the JMM’s nominee. Efforts of Sukhdeo Bhagat in dragging the party flocks together at the polling booth and talking in JMM’s voice while briefly boycotting the voting can be seen as the gesture to win heart of Hemant Soren. “May be earlier decision of the Congress to walk alone would not have gone down well to the JMM and Sukhdeo Bhagat did extra during the Rajya Sabha,” he explained.
Moreover another serious challenge Bhagat is facing is in the form of erstwhile Mandar MlA Bandhu Tirkey. Trikey after losing last election from his constituency has secured JVM’s support this time and is aggressively campaigning at neighbouring lohardaga for his reentry into the Assembly.