Election campaigning is at a full swing for the Lok Sabha elections in Dhanbad constituency, which will go into the polls in the sixth phase on May 12.
Star campaigners of two major political parties— Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set to tour the area to garner support for their respective candidates.
Union Home Minister Piyush Goyal and cricketer- turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu have already addressed election meetings in Dhanbad and Bokaro for their candidates for Giridih and Dhanbad Lok Sabha seats.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP president Amit Shah including other leaders will conduct rallies in the area in next two days. “Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari are scheduled to address public meetings in Jharia and Dhanbad on May 7, Shah is also scheduled to address public meetings in Karkend on May 8 while Chief Minister Raghubar Das is to address a mass meeting in Jharia on May 9,” informed Raj Sinha, MLA Dhanbad.
Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are the star campaigners who will be canvassing for the party in Dhanbad LS constituency. Rahul will conduct Road Show from CIMFR gate to Subash Chowk, Naya Bazar (2 kms) on May 7 while Priyanka will address mass rallies at Dhanbad on May 9 to garner support for their candidate Kriti Azad.
Candidates and political parties who are in the poll fray are putting in rigorous efforts to woo the voters and rallies, road shows, meetings with the door-to-door campaign are intensifying in Bokaro and Dhanbad districts for Giridih and Dhanbad Lok Sabha seats. The poll in the both constituencies is scheduled to be held on May 12.
Modi waves changed the polity in both constituencies too and most of the regional, as well as small parties, are about to lose their grounds. Only BJP and Congress candidates are in the real race on the seats.
Bipolar contest is expected in both of the constituencies, though Dhanbad constituency may witness a triangular contest between BJP, Congress and independent candidate Siddharth Gautam (from Singh Mansion).
There is a direct contest between BJP candidate and sitting MP PN Singh and Congress candidate Kriti Azad on Dhanbad LS seat while on Giridih LS seat there is a fight between Chandra Prakash Choudhary AJSU (BJP alliance) and Jagarnath Mahato JMM (grand alliance candidate).
Meanwhile the candidates and supporters of other parties are also putting in all efforts to reach maximum voters.
Amidst extremism threat, both constituencies are all set to go for peaceful and fearless poll. “Unprecedented security personnel comprising BSF, Jharkhand police personnel, SISS and CRPF personnel with Zonal and Super Zonal Magistrates, Micro observers are deployed to conduct peaceful elections,” said K N Jha Deputy Commissioner Bokaro cum electoral officer Giridih LS Constituency.
Besides webcasting, videography and still photography, choppers will also keep a close watch on free and fair poll even in the difficult terrain of the constituency. “Most of the polling booths are converted into model booths and equipped with drinking water facilities, sitting arrangements with shades to facilitate the votes,” DC said.