The battle lines for Madhupur bypoll have been drawn with the main contest between JMM candidate and Minority affairs minister Hafizul Hasan and BJP’s new entrant Ganga Narayan Singh. Saturday being the last date for withdrawal of candidature, six candidates are left for the race in Madhupur. Eight candidates had filed nominations for Madhupur, out of which one candidate nomination was rejected while one Independent candidate withdrew his nomination on the last day.
Out of six candidates in fray four are Independents while the main battle is between Hafizul Hasan and Ganga Narayan Singh. The battle of Madhupur also assumes importance as over the past two decades, seat has witnessed direct contest between BJP and JMM candidates. Since 2005, the BJP’s Raj Paliwar has represented the seat twice while for two times JMM’s Haji Hussain Ansari has represented the seat.
As the Grand Alliance had fielded Late Haji Hussain Ansari’s son Hafizul who is also minister in Hemant cabinet despite the fact that he is not the member of Assembly it becomes a prestige issue to retain the seat. The Grand Alliance comprising JMM, Congress, RJD and Left parties have formed a coordination committee. The committee comprises leaders from all constituents.
Meanwhile, now Congress has decided to campaign extensively for JMM candidate and in this connection state finance minister and Congress state president Rameshwar Oraon has decided to camp in Madhupur.
Oraon along with his team will leave for Madhupur on April 7 and will camp for three days. According to State Congress Committee spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey, Rameshwar Oraon will stay in Madhupur for three days. During this time many other Congress leaders will also camp there. During this time, party officials will be given different responsibilities.
Under the leadership of the state president, party leaders, officials and workers will be entrusted with the responsibility of region-wise, block-wise, panchayat level and booth level. For this, separate tasks are being assigned to ministers, MLAs, former MLAs, MPs, former MPs and state officials and senior leaders involved in the government. Dubey said, “Though JMM is contesting the election the Congress will exert full support to Hasan. Grand Alliance candidates like Dumka and Bermo will script history in Madhupur too.”
Influential leaders from Santhal Pargana region will be given special responsibility. A war room will also be set up at Madhupur.
The UPA camp is also in an upbeat mood after Left parties have announced to support JMM in the bypoll. Left parties who are not part of the JMM-led UPA government in Jharkhand have decided to support JMM candidate and cabinet minister Hafijul Hassan for the Madhupur bypoll. In a joint media statement issued at the CPM state office in Ranchi, four Left parties — CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) and Marxist Coordination Committee — announced their support to the JMM-UPA candidate.
Left parties do not have a sizable presence in Madhupur constituency but have a few pockets where factory workers have shown their support for the Left parties.