The tribal reserved constituency Lohardaga is likely to witness triangular contest as the main fight is between BJP candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat, Congress State president and former MP Rameshwar Oroan and AJSU party candidate Niru Shanti Bhagat.
The Lohardaga constituency, which in recent times has witnessed close fight with margin of victories remaining few thousand has elected lawmakers from all three parties BJP, Congress and AJSU party. Going by past elections, no political parties can claim that the tribal reserved seat is their bastion.
In 2009 Assembly election, AJSU party candidate Kamal Kishore Bhagat won the seat securing 35816 votes, while Sukhdeo Bhagat the Congress candidate had secured 35210 votes. The margin of victory was 606 votes. Similarly, in 2014 Assembly election Kamal Kishore Bhagat of AJSU party won the seat securing 56920 votes, while the runner up Sukhdeo Bhagat, who was contesting the election as Congress candidate had secured 56328 votes. The margin of victory was only 592 votes. However, in 2015 by-poll which was necessitated following disqualification of AJSU leader Kamal Kishore Bhagat after he was sentenced to jail for five years in connection with an attack on a doctor in 1993, Sukhdeo won the seat. In 2015 by-poll, Kamal Kishore’s wife Niru Shanti Bhagat was contesting the election.
In the by poll, Congress candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat polled 73,859 votes while his rival and AJSU party candidate Niru Shanti Bhagat secured 50,571 votes.
A senior political science teacher at local BS College requesting anonymity said, “Lohardaga is one of the constituencies in State which has elected MLAs from all major political parties.
The margin of victories in so small that no political parties can claim that it is their bastion.” The teacher claimed in 2015 by poll, Sukhdeo won the seat by the margin of nearly 23,000 votes mainly because AJSU party leader and former MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat was in jail.
Echoing the views of teacher, Raman Lal Sahu who runs a grocery shop at Tower Chowk area of City said, “This Assembly election appears to be very interesting as all three candidates Sukhdeo Bhagat, Rameshwar Oroan and Niru Shanti Bhagat have their respective support base.”
Sahu further said, “Though the seat has support base of all three parties, BJP national president Amit Shah campaigning in support of BJP candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat and touching core Hindutva Ram temple issue has tried to polarize the electorates.”
Despite Lohardaga giving chances to all three parties, the area still remains undeveloped with unemployment, improvement in health and education facilities still remaining the main issue for voters. Mineral rich Lohardaga is known for producing world class bauxite and hence known as Bauxite Town.
There are 16 mining leases of Bauxite Mineral. Hindalco Industries Ltd has 07 mining leases out of 9 active mines. But, most the mineral are transported to Hindalco Industries at Muri in Ranchi district. Somdev Oroan, a college student at BS College said, “Lohardaga happens to be biggest producer of Bauxite, but in absence of any aluminum factories the local youths are deprived of employment opportunities.
All political parties have promised to set up factory but none of them have taken the initiative. Even Chief Minister Raghubar Das while addressing rally on Thursday in Lohardaga had promised to set up aluminum factory in Lohardaga.”
Apart from lack of employment opportunities, the area few years back was known for Left Wing Extremism menace. The forest areas of Pakhar, Hisari, Rudhali Pat, Khamar Pat were Naxal affected areas, but thanks to State Government initiative that LWE menace has been checked
but not completely wiped out. Sources said that still the region has many splinters groups active in the area. Lohardaga with the total voters of 244381 has 123658 male voters and 120723 female voters.
In the age group of 18 to 19 years who are known as millennium voters their numbers is not huge as there are only 6205 such young voters. In the first phase of election 13 constituencies including Lohardaga is to go on poll scheduled on November 30.