Probably buoyed by the resounding victory of IPS officer-turned-JVM MP from Jamshedpur, Ajoy Kumar, along with success of umpteen of their ilk in electoral fray in different States, many serving and retired babus of Jharkhand have also started hunting for glory in the political arena.
While former Jharkhand DGP VD Ram and retired DIG Nandu lal have already made their intentions clear by joining one or the other political party, others like retired IAS officer Mukhtyaar Singh, retired IPS officer Manoj Mishra and ex-ADGP and serving Jharkhand State Cricket Association chief Amitabh Choudhary are waiting for the opportune moment after having taken voluntary retirement from IPS.
While these fence-sitters are said to be optimistic about the electoral battle even as independent candidates, they are sending feelers to different parties.
Two former Chief Secretaries of the State are also toying with the idea of “serving the society” through politics, provided some national party considers them worthy candidates, sources close to them say. Interestingly, both aspire for Assembly elections, unlike their juniors, who are thinking big.
Four former bureaucrats turned successful politicians from Jharkhand — Hazaribagh MP Yashwant Sinha, Jamshedpur MP Ajoy Kumar, State Congress chief Sukhdeo Bhagat and Himachal Pradesh MlA BK Chouhan — seem to have become guiding stars for political greenhorns among the bureaucratic circle.
It is said that former finance secretary Mukhtyaar Singh has made up his mind to contest parliamentary elections from Palamau. Already working in that direction, he is merely waiting for being offered assurance from any major party. He is said to be under consideration of the BJP and Congress.
The JSCA chief, who is said to have made an unsuccessful attempt to take on the might of his former IPS colleague in the last Jamshedpur parliamentary elections, is trying hard for a BJP ticket from Ranchi. The BJP had fielded its then State president Dineshananda Goswami last time.
While sources say Choudhary is open to the idea of contesting on a JVM ticket too, former Bokaro IG Manoj Mishra is said to have made up his mind to contest parliamentary elections from Koderma as a JVM candidate. Koderma is represented by JVM chief Babulal Marandi, who has apparently decided to challenge JMM supremo Shibu Soren from Dumka. If that happens, Mishra is bound to become the JVM’s choice for Koderma, sources said.
But, one of the most interesting battles in the next Assembly election is likely to be seen in Kanke constituency, where VD Ram — who has recently joined the BJP — is likely to face his subordinate Nandu Prasad of JVM. Prasad, who too recently joined Marandi’s bandwagon, was earlier contemplating Deoghar, but the party thinks he will be a better candidate to oppose Ram, sources said.
Ram told The Pioneer he just intends to strengthen the BJP and wants to work for the people. “I will contest if am given the ticket. It depends whether the party considers me suitable to contest parliamentary or Assembly elections,” he added.
Ram believes babus can contribute more because of their experience in governance. “Many other bureaucrats may express their desire to contest at the time of distribution of tickets. Many may be already trying silently,” he added.
Echoing Ram’s views, another bureaucrat who also wants to turn into an MP, quipped, “A district-level official like BDO, CO or a DC, SP cannot teach us law and would be forced to expedite works.”