Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, February 23
Ramgarh (Jharkhand) assembly constituency that goes to by-election on February 27 witnesses keen contest between the Congress candidate, Baijyanath Mahto, husband of jailed former MLA Mamta Devi and Ms Sunita Chaudhury, wife of Ramgarh MP, Jayaprakash Chaudhury of AJSU.
Mahto is supported by the JMM and Sunita by the BJP. By-election was necessitated following the then sitting Congress MLA, Mamta Devi sentenced to five years prison term by Hazaribagh court in a case related to violence in a labour dispute in which two people were gunned down.
Mahto is campaigning with his ten months old child who is always with him in all election meetings. At an election meeting addressed by the Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren at Gola, birth place of the JMM leader, infant child was on the lap of the candidate who appealed to the voters to elect him as the infant’s mother was in jail.
Mamta Devi issued an appeal from her jail ward at Hazaribagh Central Jail seeking votes for her husband to ensure safety of the infant. Mahto said the appeal issued from her jail has been put on the face book post of the woman.
All Jharkhand Students Union candidate Sunita Chaudhury is being backed by her MP husband. She is moving from one to another village and seeking support to strengthen her husband and reminding people about the development works done by Chaudhury.Senior BJP leaders are also campaigning for her.
The first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Babu Lal Marandi (BJP) was elected from Ramgarh in 2001 when by-election was held following death of the then sitting CPI MLA, Shafi Ahmad Qureshi, Marandi was then member of Lok Sabha from Dumka.
Gautam Sagar Rana, a senior JDU leader of the state who had been elected to the state assembly in 1977 said, “It is going to be keen contest in Ramgarh. It is no longer the constituency under influence of the Ramgarh Maharaj of Padma Palace, who has lost support of the common masses. Till 80s, the Palace decided the candidates in Ramgarh and even cooks and drivers got elected. Now it is totally different.”.
The February 27 fight is between the economically, socially and politically powerful Kurmi castes as the two major rival candidates are from Kurmi caste. Both are rich.
In the contest, presence of 12 educated unemployed youths as independent candidates have made the election interesting. The dozen youths who have filed their papers are being supported by Jharkhand Youth Association, a conglomeration of job aspirant outfits. Devendra Mahto, convenor of the association said: “Jharkhand youths have been denied employment, the so-called employment policy promising reservations to local youths in employment could not help them.” They had been frequently demonstrating outside the state assembly for jobs.
Mahto said, “We had submitted our applications for jobs in many government and private sector offices. We failed and now we have found post of an MLA is also a good employment (Naukari). Our candidates have submitted their nominations for job as an MLA. This is the beginning and would be applying for jobs as MLAs in the coming elections too.”
Some of the unemployed educated youths as candidates are Imam Safi, Sahdev Mahto, Sanjay Mahto, Kamdeo Mahto, Mahipal Mahto and Manoj Bediya. They have been allotted symbols like-charger of mobile sets, cot, match box, lady finger, and javeline.
