In order to secure his win and negate the emotional advantage believes to be taken by dismissed lohardaga MlA Kamal Kishore Bhagat, Congress’ probable candidate for the bypoll Sukhdeo Bhagat has sparked a controversy. Bhagat, who is also Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) president, has questioned the legitimacy of Kamal Kishore Bhagat’s marriage to Niru Shanti Bhagat and its wider acceptability.
legitimacy of the marriage is being questioned since there is strong probability of Niru Shanti, erstwhile a nurse, being made AJSU-BJP combine candidate from the vacant seat.
"The emotional ploy by the former MlA is not going to gain anything for him. Entire tribal society of lohardaga has disbanded the marriage and rejected it. The marriage has been performed without following certain traditions and customs of the tribal society and thus stands invalid in the eyes of the people," Sukhdeo Bhagat told The Pioneer on Monday.
A local court had found KK Bhagat guilty of extortion and attempt to murder and sentences him seven years' rigorous imprisonment. The verdict resulted in his immediate dismissal from the Assembly.
Following the incident the two-time former MlA of lohardaga at the age of 46 hurriedly tied knot with Niru Shanti and surrendered before the High Court a day after.
The marriage, however, was treated in the political circles as an attempt to keep the seat within the family by making her a candidate in the by poll expected to take place by December this year.
"locals are not happy with the marriage at all. Their anger is also because he has disrespected tradition and culture of the tribal society for the sake of politics. It is the reason why his newly wed wife has not been allowed to even enter their ancestral home. People of the area are in no mood to recognise the marriage," added Bhagat.
This apart, Bhagat is also up against the battle from inside which he is confident of taming this time around. "To some extent I have managed the forces. They are in control now. I have met some senior party leaders in Delhi and apprised them about their anti-party activities. The camp has received rap from the party high command. I hope they would fall in line at the right time," Bhagat said with confidence.
Bhagat is in the arena for the fourth consecutive time. While winning the election in 2005, he lost the seat with small margins of around 500 votes to KK Bhagat in 2009 and 2014. Thankfully he got another chance to make his entry into the Assembly due to the disqualification which is also being seen as a battle of life or death for him.
"His rival camp within the party is working on that strategy only. If he loses the poll he would have to relinquish the party chief position. The rivals would present he three back to back defeats as dampeners for the ranks and files of the party cadre and question his credentials to lead the Congress in the State where it is already on margins," said one of his close confidants.
Bhagat besides downplaying emotive card played by KK Bhagat is also stretching full length to the JMM leadership to seal support in his favour ahead of the by poll. "I have received positive feedbacks from the JMM," said the PCC chief.