Over a month long campaign for 2019 parliamentary elections came to an end on Friday evening with all candidates doing a final sprint to reach out to as many as voters as possible in State. In Jharkhand the election is being held in four phase starting on April 29. In last phase of election scheduled on May 19, fate of candidates from Santhal Pargana will be locked in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
The campaign which ran for nearly a month long in State, witnessed hectic campaigning from different political parties. BJP star campaigner and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four election rallies at different locations spread at four phases of election and a massive road show in Capital. Congress national president, Rahul Gandhi addressed two public meeting in tribal districts of Simdega and Chaibasa apart from holding a road show in Coal Capital, Dhanbad.
“The PM’s rally location was decided in such a way that it covers voters in all four phases. On April 23, he held a road show in Ranchi followed by rally in Lohardaga next day. Similarly, on April 29, the PM second rally was held at Giridih campaigning for candidates in Koderma, Khunti, Hazaribag and Ranchi. PM third rally was in Chaibasa on May 5 seeking votes for candidates contesting in Jamshedpur, Singhbhum, Dhanbad and Giridh. The PM fourth and last rally was in Deoghar on May 15 campaigning for three Santhal Pargana seats,” a BJP leader requesting anonymity said.
From BJP camp, apart from Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah addressed three rallies, Union Home Minister and former BJP national president Rajnath Singh holding rallies in Palamu, Chatra and Hazaribag, Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BJP fire brand leader Yogi Adityanath addressed two election meeting, union minister for surface transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari holding election meeting in Dhanbad and Giridih Lok Sabha constituencies.
Also in Congress camp, apart from Rahul Gandhi, party another star campaigner, Navjot Singh Sidhu known for his funniest and controversial remarks too addressed election meetings in Jamshedpur and Bokaro.
Apart from national leaders of both parties, local leaders too addressed series of meetings in State. From BJP the star campaigner was Chief Minister Raghubar Das who addressed around sixty election meeting in different parts of State. From Grand Alliance camp it was former chief minister and JMM executive president Hemant Soren who actively campaigned for Mahagathbandhan candidates. Soren too addressed more than sixty election rallies.
“From Congress which is the leading partner of Grand Alliance, party senior leader Alamgir Alam addressed more than two dozen election meetings. Also State Congress president Ajoy Kumar too actively campaigned for Mahagathbandhan candidates,” said Congress spokesperson Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo.
However, Grand Alliance’s internal bickering was evident in campaigning too as RJD star campaigner and Bihar former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav only campaigned for his party candidates in Palamu and Chatra. In rest of the seat he was missing.