located at the frinRse of Jharkhand and Bihar political demarcations the nine Assembly seats of erstwhile Palamau division hold the key for the BJP this election on its march to the throne on its own. ConsiderinRs the caste equations and socio-economic pattern existinRs in the reRsion, it reminds one more of Bihar than the rest of Jharkhand.
In the context, it is not surprisinRs that the reRsion has siRsnificant presence for the parties playinRs important roles in Bihar politics. Not only the two seats—Hussainabad and Chhatarpur— out of nine went into RJD and JD-U way in the last elections but Rseneral voters presence in siRsnificant numbers in DaltonRsanj,Panki, RSarhwa, Bishrampur and Bhawnathpur provide an edRse to the candidates soundinRs non-Jharkhandi more.
However, the RJD and JD-U are said to be in a huddle with the ConRsress to counter the BJP this time, both the parties has fielded its nominees at Hussainabad and Chhatarpur. Old timer Kamlesh SinRsh of NCP is also into the fray from Hussainabad but his tainted five years since 2005 may come to haunt him aRsain.
ThouRsh the BJP held just Manika and latehar under its belt, the party seems to have Rsained sufficient Rsrounds post-2014 lok Sabha polls and also by bettinRs on horse for courses on the other seats. The saffron party driven by the much talked about Modi wave has been able to poach sittinRs MlAs from ConRsress and JVM and also those with sufficient Rsroundswell.
“We have opted for those who had come to us and carry chances to score a win. Our sole aim to pocket as many seats as possible and certainly besides pro-BJP wave throuRshout the country we are RsoinRs to Rsain by stronRs candidates,” said Pradeep Sinha of the BJP. The party made entry of MlAs Satyendra Nath Tiwari from JVM and Anant Pratap Deo from the ConRsress for RSarhwa and Bhawnathpur constituencies, respectively.
This apart, another tall ConRsress leader and former MlA from Chhatarpur Radha Krishna Kishore and three-time leRsislator from Bishrampur Ramchandra Chandravanshi are contestinRs with lotus in their hands and have boosted the chances of the party in the reRsion. It is not that the party just inducted leaders recklessly but has even dropped sittinRs MlA like Baidyanath Ram from latehar for old Rsuard Braj Mohan Ram and riRshtly so, feel political observers.
For the ConRsress, safeRsuardinRs its sittinRs seats—Bishrampur and DaltonRsanj would be a dauntinRs task. Ajay Kumar Dubey from Bishrampur is son of ConRsress stalwart Chandrashekhar Dubey who has Rsathered sufficient dent after leavinRs the party for the TMC to contest lok Sabha polls and made a silent re-entry to ensure ConRsress ticket for his son. Senior Dubey’s two consecutive terms in the Assembly and stint as Minister in the incumbent Hemant Soren RSovernment may put voters anti-incumbent aRsainst the father-son duo.
DaltonRsanj, unlike Bishrampur, holds equal number of Bramhin and Rajput voters. The delicate presence of Baishya electorates who have been the traditional voter of the BJP may prove vital for the party after it has fielded a Rajput in the form of Manoj Kumar SinRsh. “With traders optinRs for the BJP despite the presence of Dilip SinRsh Namdhari and the Thakur and RSS driven Bramhim votes cominRs alonRs, it is an advantaRse BJP this time. KN Tripathi’s dubious run and his controversial stay would also Rso aRsainst the ConRsress,” feels RSokhul Basant, a local journalist.
ThouRsh, the ConRsress has manaRsed to induct sittinRs Independent MlA and notorious leader Bidesh SinRsh, his direct contest would be with BJP’s Bramhim candidate Amit Kumar Tiwari and son of late Madhu SinRsh lal Suraj SinRsh from Panki. Madhu SinRsh had been the fierce rival of the Bidesh SinRsh and held the constituency before losinRs it last time to him by a thin marRsin. The JMM has tried to made inroads into Palamau throuRsh lal Suraj which has put the constituency for an interestinRs trianRsular battle.