If a pollster, leading an election survey team, says that their findings did not conclusively reveal the seat share of a political party, a senior bureaucrat’s off-the-cuff remark was that nobody can say which way the wind blows as several persons have joined the fray to ensure defeat of others than to get victorious.
These remarks may paint the hazy picture of electoral scenario in Jharkhand facing high political fragmentation, but regional outfits’ candidates, whom the national parties dub vote-katwas (vote snatchers), are certainly giving sleepless nights to the serious contenders.
Said a senior BJP leader, AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto’s nomination is likely to mar the prospects of his kin and BJP candidate Ram Tahal Chaudhary and the party is working overtime to negate the impact of Sudesh’s debut for the lok Sabha elections. The BJP, however, found consolation in the fact that Trinamool candidate Bandhu Tirkey will be hurting the prospects of Congress nominee Subodh Kant Sahai only.
The scenario in Ranchi could mirror the scenario in almost all the 14 parliamentary constituencies, particularly those which are not reserved.
To cite an example, as many as 20 candidates are in fray for Chatra seat. Almost all the political-national, State and registered — like BSP, Congress, AJSU, BJP, JVM, CPI, SP, Socialist Party (India), TMC, Jharkhand Party, JD (U), AAP and Rashtriya Jantantrik Morcha — have fielded candidates in the constituency. Koderma also finds 20 nominees. As many as 33 candidates are in the fray for Ranchi seat.
"The TMC is fighting the elections in a big way and the candidates will prove to be more a spoiler. At least three of them are MlAs — Bandhu Tirkey, Chamra linda and Chandrashekhar Dubey — and enjoy considerable support of the voters in Ranchi, lohardaga and Dhanbad only. They may not win but would certainly hurt the prospects of main contenders, particularly UPA candidates," said a senior Congress leader. Congress nominee from lohardaga Rameshwar Oraon is not comfortable with Chamra linda was obvious enough when he challenged the latter’s nomination on the ground that he held an office of profit while filing the nomination. linda will cut into the Congress vote bank.Another social activist Dayamani Barla, fighting on the AAP candidate will only spoilt the Congress’ party in Khunti.
According to an insider, the sole objective of the TMC was to get such potential candidates who may garner three-four per cent of votes, helping Mamata Banerjee bandwagon to get national party status. Former JMM MP K D Singh, who has no love lost with Shibu Soren, is said to have played a crucial role in wooing at least three MlAs and other players like lalu Soren, brother of Shibu Soren. Singh’s twin purpose is to get the vote for the TMC and get the key to the Hemant Soren Government. Singh could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
According to a poll analyst, except four or five JVM candidates, the rest are there just spoil the party of the BJP candidates. likewise, the AJSU had fielded 10 candidates and except two candidates-Sudesh Mahto and loknath Mahto- the rest will prove to be vote-katwas only, he added.
The entry of AJSU in a big way also tells a story of soaring ambition of Sudesh According to an insider, Sudesh was making hard bargain with the BJP to forge an alliance and get at least four seats and joined the fray when the saffron brigade did not agree to his proposal.
The JD (U) has fielded Jaleshwar Mahto from Giridih and Mahesh Yadav from Chatra. BJP’s Godda Nishikant Dubeyshould also worry if Dr Raj Vardhan Azad, professor and head of the ophthalmology unit at AIIMS, files nomination on the JD(U) ticket.
Senior BJP leader Raghubar Das may not accept that the BJP nominees are facing threat from the regional outfit candidates, but said the people should vote for a national party in the reckoning and do not allow the country to be drift again in the cobweb of coalition politics.
"Good governance takes a back seat in a coalition government giving birth to scams like 2G spectrum. So, people should give a clear mandate for ‘sushashan’," Das maintained.
According to Harishwar Dayal, regional Director of Institute of Human Development, the purpose of the regional outfits is to register their presence in the election for bargaining with the national parties in the future. "And the small time players jump into the fray as Independents to bargain for the present like taking money etc," he added.