LS polls: Smaller parties make it tough for BJP, JMM-Congress-RJD in Jharkhand

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posted on 10 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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A good show by regional parties which have their pockets of influence can throw the entire calculation out of the window.

The battle in Jharkhand has got very complicated with several regional parties in the fray even as the big fight is between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance. But making it tough for them are regional parties like Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Prajatantrik, All Jharkhand Students Union and Trinamool Congress which have their pockets of influence and a good show by these parties can throw the entire calculation out of the window.

As in the neighbouring state of Bihar, Naxals are a huge threat in Palamu, Chatra, Kodarma and Lohardaga too and security forces are on high alert to ensure peaceful polling.

A total of 57,17,273 electorate will decide the fate of 62 candidates. The voters include 30,31,462 males and 26,80,840 females, three others and 4,968 service electorate.

Even though there are 13 candidates in Palamu, the contest is between BJP candidate and former Jharkhand Police DGP Vishnu Dayal Ram, RJD nominee Manoj Kumar Bhuiya, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik's Ghuran Ram and former Maoist leader and TMC candidate Kameshwar Baitha, who is also the sitting MP. Baitha had won in 2009 as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidate. Following the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance, the seat went to Lalu's party. Baitha tried to get a BJP ticket but later on joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress which is trying to get a foothold in the state.

Lohardaga (ST) seat will see former Union minister and Congress candidate Rameshwar Oraon, current BJP MP Sudarshan Bhagat, JVMP's Birendra Bhagat and sitting MLA Chamra Linda of Trinamool battle it out.

Jharkhand BJP chief Ravindra Kumar Rai, Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) candidate Rajkumar Yadav, former Congress MP Tilakdhari Singh, JVMP candidate Pranav Kumar Verma, former MP Suraj Mandal from Jharkhand Vikas Dal are the main contestants in Koderma. Sitting MP and JVMP chief Babu Lal Marandi has shifted to Dumka.

Chatra, too, votes on April 10 and the fight is between Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Prasad Sahu, BJP's Sunil Kumar Singh, JVMP candidate Neelam Devi and All Jharkhand Students Union leader Nagmani, who is a perpetual party hopper. The sitting MP Inder Singh Namdhari, who won as an Independent supported by the BJP, has opted out dealing a big blow to the BJP.