Senior BJP leader and legislative party leader, Babulal Marandi on Monday charged Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of misusing administrative machinery in two bypolls Dumka and Bermo.
Marandi targeting the Hemant Soren Government said, “The way the State Government has lodged a sedition case against State BJP president Deepak Prakash it is laughable. It is evident from the case the police machinery is working as an agent of a political party (JMM). The police have lodged a sedition case against BJP president and the selective sections have been registered in the case on the instructions of political party.”
The senior BJP leader and former chief minister dared the JMM government to arrest Prakash. He said, “Deepak Prakash is in Ranchi, I dare the state government to arrest him and even me as I am too defending Prakash in the case.” The BJP leader condemning the district administration’s move of issuing show cause notices to media persons who had attended the press meet addressed by Deepak Prakash in Dumka said that it is a direct attack on freedom of speech.
A sedition case was registered in bypoll-bound Dumka against Jharkhand BJP chief and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash on Saturday for allegedly trying to destabilise the JMM-Congress-RJD government in the state. The BJP leader had on Friday said in a press conference that the saffron party will form the government in the state in the next two-three months. Prakash like Marandi too has dared the state government to arrest him within 24 hours. However, today in the afternoon he left for Delhi to attend a BJP meeting.
Marandi also claimed that contractors engaged in the road construction department, mining and district administration were working undercover in support of JMM candidate Basant Soren. Marandi claimed that despite the State government exerting all administrative machinery, the BJP will win both the seats Dumka and Bermo.
Marandi also cited some reasons behind BJP candidates having an edge over JMM and Congress candidates. Marandi said, “There are several factors which indicate that BJP has an edge over its opposition candidates. In Dumka, BJP candidate Louis Marandi is local daughter of Dumka, while neither Basant Soren nor any of his family members have original residents of Dumka.” Marandi claimed that BJP candidate Louis Marandi is getting support from even JMM supporters. He said, “Despite JMM chief Shibu Soren’s son Basant Soren contesting the election none of the JMM leaders and legislators from Santhal Pargana such as Seeta Soren, Nalin Soren and Stephen Marandi have campaigned in support of JMM candidate.” Marandoi alleged that by fielding Basant Soren from Dumka, elder brother Hemant Soren has made him a scapegoat.
The BJP leader claimed that the same situation is at Bermo too as leaving aside coal mafias and some trade union leaders majority of local population are against JMM candidate Jaimangal Singh. The voting for two seats will be held on November 3 while counting of votes will be held on November 10.