All loud promises, tall claims of credentials and leaders' 'capability' to overturn the fortunes of common voters overnight come to a deafening silence as one approaches Khunti, just 45 km away from the State capital, which goes to poll on April 17.
Unlike neighbouring Ranchi, the area sees thinly present posters and banners even in the main market, just some vehicles playing recorded message and makeshift party offices where workers are always in siesta mode. Election time has come in Khunti and about to leave without making its presence felt.
Veteran BJP leader and lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda is seeking re-election from here. Khunti has been in news for wrong reasons and imprints of proscribed organisations, their splinter groups, dummy groups and even Special Police Officers (SPOs) can easily be felt. A school teacher and social activist among locals refused to take this reporter to his home-just couple of kilometers off the Ranchi-Khunti highway-and that also in broad daylight.
“Fear is immense. Villagers are caught in crossfire with one faction or sub-faction taking over the other and vice versa. In the election time some presence of police force is there but also the feeling that what after the election is overIJ The unchallenged rule of the organisations would prevail again,” he said.
Information suggest that Khunti is a tussle ground of the Maoists (Kundan Pahan), PlFI (Dinesh Gope), Village Republican Guard of India (allegedly propped up by the police administration) and some small splinter groups like Vikrant or Bikram etc. Barring few, most of them have their vested interest with seasonal organisations.
This may be political outfits, land mafias, middlemen, mining and quarrying mafias, investors, contractors and so on.
Khunti SP Anish Gupta also admitted the phenomenon. “We have certain information about Jharkhand Party candidate Anosh Ekka having connived with PlFI cadres. He was located with them few days ago and the Aam Aadmi Party candidate Dayamani Barla also complained. We have filed two FIRs against him and investigating the matter,” said the SP and also expressed limitations of administration citing the unholy nexus of this kind a “structural problem”.