With almost all parties clearing names of their candidates from all five Assembly segments of Hazaribagh district, all eyes are on the Congress. The party has won two seats-- Hazaribagh Sadar and Barkagaon—during 2009 elections but facing a precarious situation with both the sitting legislators of the party in disarray.
In 2004 and 2009 Saurav Narayan Singh won from Hazaribagh Sadar constituency as Congress candidate and said to be not interested to contest on party ticket this time around.
Barkagaon MlA Yogendra Sao who had defeated the BJP’s heavyweight loknath Mahto in 2009, but this time he is news for wrong reasons. Name of his wife Nirmala Devi is also being discussed though the party high command is yet take a call.
As the date of filing of nomination is coming closer, curiosity among the voters of both these constituencies is going towards its peak to know the names of Congress candidate because the previous records say that the last time winner always remains in main contest in any election in most of the cases.
This time the scenario is different. It came in news that Saurav Narayan Singh has denied to fight the election this time. However after announcement of BJP’s candidate once again his name is in talks as probable of Congress ticket. Besides Saurav Narayan Singh other names in talks include Ex-State Youth Congress President Jaishankar Pathak and Advocate Ajhar Zamil.
Another name which has entered in the list of probable in the talks is of AJSU’s Pradeep Prasad. It is said that Pradeep Prasad and loknath Mahto are in queue for Congress ticket from Hazaribagh Sadar and Barkagaon and soon they are going to say bye-bye to Sudesh Mahto and AJSU party.
From Barkagaon constituency the name of Nirmala Devi, wife of MlA Yogendra Sao, is at top in the talks of probable but some are of opinion that Congress is not going to take risk by giving ticket to Yogendra or his relatives so this time a new face will come in the war from their side and it may be of Mr. Clean three times BJP MlA loknath Mahto who is nowadays in AJSU or Baleshwar Kumar who is in BJP till today.