Stakes very high for Jharkhand CM Das and JMM chief Shibu Soren in Santhal Pargana

Shashank Shekhar

Ranchi ( Jharkhand) : Three parliamentary constituencies (PC) of Jharkhand : Dumka, Godda, and Raj Mahal  located in Santhal Pargana region of the state, go to polls in the 7th phase of General Elections on May 19, 2019. The stakes are very high of for former chief minister Shibu Soren  and  Jharkhand CM  Raghubar Das in these three   are at very high stakes in these three PC where altogether 42 candidates are in the fray.

JMM Chief  Shibu Soren along with his son Hemant Soren and others are camping in Santhal Pargana  and so is CM Raghubar Das (for the last four days) with his several ministers to win all the three seats.

The BJP is contesting all the 3 seats this time  but as per Grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan) pact JMM is contesting  2 seats: Dumka and Rajmahal,  which it had won in 2014 too, while Godda seat has been given to Jharkhand Vikas Morcha from where it has fielded former cabinet minister  of Jharkhand Pradip Yadav is trying his luck .

Altogether  15 candidates are in fray for Dumka seat from where JMM supremo Shibu Soren better known as Guruji is contesting trying to enter the parliament for the  ninth time ( he has won this seat eight times) against his onetime follower  Sunil Soren,  who is contesting on BJP.  Shibu Soren had defeated him  in 2014 LS polls.

PM  Narendra Modi besides  BJP President Amit Shah have visited different segments of the three PCs to mobile support for the BJP nominees besides staging roadshows to  snatch the two seats  from JMM besides maintaining party’s winning record in Godda seat represented  by its firebrand leader Nishikant Dubey.

Although Dumka PC is considered a JMM bastion, Shibu Soren  along with his son Hemant has been camping here for the last 7 days making close contacts with all tribal mukhiyas. Dumka comprises 6 assembly segments : Nala, Jama, Shikaripara, Jamtara, Sarath, and Dumka. Nala, Jama, and Shikaripara are under JMM fold while Jamtara is represented by Congress MLA Irfan Ansari. The remaining two assembly segments are represented  by the BJP MLAs.

As  65 percent of the voters in Dumka  PC are tribals followed by Muslims, Baniyas, Brahmins and others, Shibu Soren is very confident of his victory from the seat. The  JMM leaders have told the tribals that the Raghubar Das Government is conspiring  to change the provisions of Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act which will make  all tribal landless.

Hemant Soren alleged that CM Raghubar Das is acting like a  ‘foolish dictator’  and trying to copy his top BJP leaders including PM Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah even as he has failed to win even a single assembly by-elections during the last 5 years. “We are (Gathbandhan) winning all the three seats and there is no ‘if’ and ‘but’ on this issue,” stated Hemant.

When contacted, Dumka BJP candidate  Sunil Soren  stated that it is Modi wave in Santhal Pargana and the BJP Government has given several developmental projects to Santhal Pargana while Soren family has allegedly cheated the innocent tribals of this zone. The BJP will win the Dumka seat, asserted Sunil Soren.

In Rajmahal represented by JMM  MP Vijay Hansda, 14 candidates are in fray but the main contest is between  JMM nominee and BJP candidates and former cabinet minister of Jharkhand Hemlal Murmu. Though this seat is also dominated by tribals followed by Muslims but traders (Banias)  are quite influential in this constituency and that the reason the JMM  along with JVM  leaders havetold  told the tribals hat if they  don’t vote for JMM candidate  ‘Dikus’ (outsiders)  will force them to  leave their land which will be taken away by corporate houses .Hemlal Murmu is, however, confident of winning the seat saying it is  Modi wave in Rajmamal. The BJP government has  given good roads and several developmental projects to the constituency, he said.

Godda seat is regarded as a safe seat for BJP whose nominee Nishikant Dubey won this seat in 2009 and 2014 defeating Congress leader Furqan Ansari. In the 2014 LS polls, JVM nominee Pradip Yadav had polled 1 lakh 93 thousand votes while Furqan  Ansari of Congress got 3,19,818 votes and Nishikant Dubey 3,80,500 votes. “If  huge gathering and roadshow of  Modi  as well as Amit Shah  was any indication, I will frfinitely win this seat,” claims  Dubey.