Aiming to make it a ‘do or die’ battle, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhdeo Bhagat has planned to drag down even the biggest asset the party has. Team of the JPCC chief is going ahead with the plan and has pressed its application for figuring Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a rally in the run up to the bye-poll in lohardaga.
“We have planned a big rally of Rahul Gandhi at lohardaga when date for the bye-election nears. The rally would also figure JMM leaders, including Hemant Soren that would present the united face of the Opposition against the Government,” said Alok Dubey, JPCC general secretary.
Bhagat, to make the battle fruitful for him, has even started holding 7-8 public meetings every day and his close confidantes are already camping in the constituency, a step way ahead of any of his rival. “The team is on the job. It is holding series of meetings in villages and making the voters understand about cheating done by the BJP Governments, both at the Centre and the State. We are also highlighting roll back on land issue by the Government which is of course a victory for the Congress,” added Dubey.
Also, to hold its forte, the PCC president has convinced Hemant Soren and said to have secured his support for lohardaga. “JMM is ready in principle and there is no glitch on its part. However, a formal announcement in this regard may take time,” said Sukhdeo Bhagat who has represented the constituency once in 2005 while consecutively losing two times thereafter with small margins.
Moreover, the party has received a jolt with Bandhu Tirkey jumping into the arena as a JVM candidate. Tirkey has been representing neighbouring Mandar but considered to have support base at lohardaga as well. “His coming with JVM’s flag would make the way difficult for the Congress as he would eat up its vote only against the BJP-AJSU combine,” said a party insider.
Though in public, Congress maintained a brave face. “Bandhu Tirkey is not a threat at all. He has no base there. He is just aiming in dark. However, it is painful that the Congress had made Tirkey a minister earlier but he has that kind of character and can leave anyone and join anyone anytime,” said Dubey.
Besides working outside, Bhagat has also reached out to his rivals in the Congress in the form of Dheeraj Sahu and Pradeep Balmuchu. Another potent force in the area is Rameshwar Oraon, former chairman of National ST Commission. Oroan is not considered of Bhagat’s camp though his team is beating drum in the constituency for designating the ‘son of the soil’ Oraon for the post.