With poll date inching closer the parties have swung into action in both urban and rural areas of Jamshedpur lok Sabha constituency. The candidates in the fray have started moving out attracting voters with their campaign rather than canvassing on social media.
When it comes to election campaigning in urban Assembly segments of Jamshedpur East and Jamshedpur West candidates still prefer ‘padyatras’ rather than other social media and social networking means.
The second phase of assembly polls scheduled on December 2 for Jamshedpur East and Jamshedpur West. The candidates in fray have hit the streets covering numerous streets and lanes each day.
Former deputy chief minister and four times Jamshedpur East MlA Raghubar Das, is covering nearly 8 km on an average in his constituency in padyatras and door-to-door campaigning.
Das, also went on to Sitaramdera and interacted with the voters. He assured them that if he is voted to power again he will continue to focus on construction roads, bridges and ensure proper drinking water and power in his Assembly area. He also promised steps to relieve the traffic congestion.
JMM candidate Upender Singh is also focusing on door to door campaign. He is interacting with the voters of Kadma, Dhatkidih, Mango and Ranikudar.
Anil Modi district BJP spokesperson said that the party workers at all the police stations falling under Jamshedpur East constituency have been asked chalk out routes for padyatras.
“Raghubar ji believes in personally interacting with the voters. He already covered several police station areas and would continue again after coming back from Ranchi. Rather than social media, he meets the voters and listen to their grievances. Raghubarji spends two hours in morning and two hours in evening in padyatras and meets people to know their problem,” said Modi. He has covered areas like Agrico, Sidhgora, Baridih, Bagunhatu and Bagunnagar localities.
JMM candidate for Jamshedpur West Upender Singh said that though he is new to the party and politics but he loves to meet with the people so that they know him and he can understand things on ground level.
Congress candidate Banna Gupta also been focusing on ward-wise door-to-door campaign in recent days. His focus is Mango, Kadma and Bistupur. “We have promised better civic services for the residents of non-company area. Better traffic and basic infrastructure is all I promise,” says Gupta.
State agriculture minister Banna, though is active in Facebook and Whatsapp but prefers to padyatras during campaigning.
“He is young and love to walk on roads meeting with people. He covers between 8 and 10 km each day. He believes that all section of people are not connected with social media and padyatras is only way to get a first hand information about people.
This also enables him to understand pulse of public,” said Congress party workers.Jamshedpur East candidate on JVM ticket, Abhay Singh is equally active and begins padyatra at 6 am and continues till 10 pm.
But padyatras is his favourite means of campaigning for him.“Though, on the day of results the actual picture will be out however, going by the response shown to the campaign exercise in the last two days it appears BJP candidates enjoy a substantial degree of popularity in the district,” conceded, Chandrashekar Mishra, former district president.