Poll season is refusing to get over for electorates of lohardaga who on Monday would again line up for the fourth time within 16 months to elect their representative. Total 2,19,595 voters would decide the fate of nine candidates into the poll fray fighting to reach Jharkhand Assembly midway.
Out of the total electors 1,13,427 are male and considerable 13,388 are teenagers below 19 years of age have recently been figured in the electoral rolls. “We have considerable presence young voters in the constituency and hope that they would keep percentage of polling high. It is good news as there are chances that frequent election fatigue may have set in there which may be negated with the presence of youths,” said Manjunath Bhajantri, lohardaga’s Deputy Commissioner on the poll eve on Sunday.
In the election there are 1200 employees will do the duty. These included 300 presiding officers, 900 P1, P2 and P3, 196 female employees, 81 sector magistrates, 45 micro observers, 21 video cameras and 9 still cameras. In Peshrar and Jobang the employees have been sent by helicopters.
Starting with lok Sabha election happened May last year, the constituency went into Assembly polls followed by just concluded Panchayat elections and again the by-poll to elect Assembly legislator since two-time member Kamal Kishore Bhagat convicted in a criminal case and lost his membership.
Bhagat has nevertheless made the contest an emotional affair by fielding his newly-wed wife Niru Shanti Bhagat and with the backing from both the BJP and her party AJSU her sailing to the Assembly looking easy, at least on paper.
“We are confident of winning the poll and there is no if and but into that. AJSU has strong presence in the constituency. People have voted for Kamal Kishore Bhagat twice and Niru is no different for them,” said Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, senior AJSU leader and Minister in the NDA Government.
Though, there are nine into the arena, main contest on the table is among three candidates- AJSU’s Niru Shanti Bhagat, Congress’ Sukhdeo Bhagat and JVM’s Bandhu Tirkey which is making it a perfect triangular battle. “We are set to thrive this time and the party has sealed the leakages existing on earlier occasions. We have formed about 250 booth committees and our workers have been instructed to remain present at each and every booth. Village level committees have also been formed that would help the voters, especially elderly and women in reaching their respective booths,” said Alok Kumar Dubey, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary.
Narrating about the intensity of the triangular contest on the card, Dubey said that the Congress was up against the rest. “Parties like JMM, RJD and JVM left no stone unturned to defeat the Congress. There is a secret pact. In addition to that the entire Government machinery is being used to defeat Sukhdeo Bhagat. Despite all that we are witnessing tremendous support in his favour,” added he. Congress State president Sukhdeo Bhagat is contesting Assembly polls fourth consecutive times having won only the first one in 2005.
Moreover the Babulal Marandi-led JVM is denying any kind of pact. “We have our own agenda which is based on the image of Babulal Marandi. Icing on the cake is Bandhu Tirkey and his image. He is set to win,” said JVM legislative body leader Pradeep Yadav.