Even as the Congress is going whole hog to woo voters ahead of lohardaga by-election and seize the momentum build up by Bihar poll results, the grand old party and its candidate, Sukhdeo Bhagat, are at unease as they face the challenge to turn the tables on the AJSU party they lost the seat to by a wafer thin margin in previous two Assembly elections and break the jinx.
Swayed by the Bihar poll results the Congress is counting big on the supposed anti-incumbency factor that they believed worked for the Mahagathbandhan in the neighbouring State and expects a mere repetition of the same fate for the candidate of National Democratic Alliance from lohardaga. However, given the closely contested battle and its result that speaks of both the Congress and the AJSU party of enjoying nearly equal support, Bhagat feels that the elections are a test of his mettle.
“This is indeed a question of prestige for us in the light of the party’s show in lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Still, we are in a good position because of people’s mandate in Bihar elections which shows that the NDA’s policies are against the common man. Here also, the Government is more about making announcements than implementing it,” said Congress’ candidate for lohardaga and Pradesh Congress Committee president, Sukhdeo Bhagat.
Bhagat lost 2009 and 2014 assembly elections by 606 and 595 votes correspondingly to AJSU’s Kamal Kishore Bhagat. This time the PCC chief is likely to face Neeru Shanti, better half of Kamal Kishore Bhagat, who lost his candidatures of the House due to conviction in a lower court in a 17 year-old-case. He had won the seat in 2005.
Bhagat who is fighting on two fronts discordant voices within the party opposed to him and also to salvage pride as the PCC chief added that the party is hobnobbing with former ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to stop AJSU from registering third consecutive victory from lohardaga assembly seat. Even as the Congress is pulling efforts to do coalition tricks in lohardaga, the Bhartiya Janta Party described the Congress as delusional. AJSU leaders were unavailable for their comments as they were holding discussions that continued till late evening on Wednesday.
“He (Bhagat) should not live under any illusion. He lost by a very small margin in two consecutive elections. If he could not make up 500 votes in five years then it means that there is a section of people who are not happy with him. Result this time won’t be different from previous election,” maintained BJP Spokesperson, Pradeep Sinha.
Notably, notification for lohardaga by-polls will be issued on November 19 whereas the constituency would go to poll on December 14 and winner will be declared on December 17 which is also the day for counting of votes.