Civic polls in Daltonganj are weeks away but they have begun affecting lives of the residents well in advance. As Medininagar Nagar Parishad has been upgraded to become Corporation, the posts of coveted Mayor and Deputy Mayor are the most sought after this time.
The post of Mayor is reserved for woman in general category, thus opening a flood gate of ambitious men to field their house wives. Political parties namely BJP, Congress, JMM, RJD, JVM have not opened their cards, nevertheless, they attract more ticket seekers for Mayor and Deputy Mayor than what is seen for Assembly seats.
Narender Pandey, BJP Palamu district president, on being contacted said, “Our party is to take a stand. It will take some time. There is excitement for this civic poll everywhere.”
However insiders in the BJP said the party may field any backward woman to contest the Mayoral post while upper caste to fight for the deputy. Senior BJP leader Kishore Kumar Pandey who is a lawyer too said, “In the past few weeks many husbands had a very busy schedule holding big press conferences right from restaurant to their respective houses where the husbands vowed to field their wives to contest the mayor’s post.”
Pandey further said some men had even dotted the town with posters and flex boards with photos of their better halves in the same humble gesture like folding of hands and seeking blessings for making them reach the victory stand.
However he said, “So far no perspective aspirant has come forward for any vision for Daltonganj as to how its civic amenities can be upgraded. There is no park in the town where families can spend some time. There is no jogger stretch here in the town. Morning walkers are forced to take either NH 75 for their walk right up to Beesfutta pul or to take a round of river Koyal road.”
Pandey lamented saying, “There is a Shivajee maidan here in Daltonganj where school children play cricket, foot ball but here too private vehicles are parked in dozen numbers leaving hardly any space for the children. No perspective aspirants or their mentors have said so far that children need to have field for them to play.”
Sources said anti-incumbency factor will work here too like the assembly election wherein right from ward commissioner down to chairlady in old Medininagar Nagar Parishad none has bothered to visit the ward and now many of them are doing pad yatra as part of cementing the bond with the electorates.
The outgoing lady chairman Poonam Singh is on a tour of the corporation areas while deputy chairman Babu is visiting house to house reminding people that he is in the poll fray. Babu even held a Sun and Sand party on the bed of the river Koyal recently wherein his supporters drew strategy for the elections.