SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 15: The Jharkhandi Bhasha Khatiyan Sangharsh Samiti (JBKSS), headed by Jayram Mahto, has fielded the first Muslim candidate, Iqbal Ansari, in the state for the Lok Sabha election in Dhanbad.
The JBKSS, a newly formed regional outfit, supports the domicile policy.
As per the second list issued by Mahto, Iqbal Ansari has been fielded from the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat, Babylata Tudu from Dumka, and Devendra Nath Mahto from the Ranchi seat.
Jayram Mahto to contest from Giridih
Jayram Mahto will himself contest from the Giridih Lok Sabha seat. So far, the JBKSS has announced the names of four candidates out of 14 in the state. It is the first political party in the state to field a Muslim candidate so far.
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There is no Muslim candidate among the 14 names on the BJP—AJSU combined list. Even the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Alliance have not named a candidate from the minority community so far.
Votebase in rural pockets
The JBKSS has recently developed a major base and influence in the rural areas of Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Giridih. Iqbal Ansari, a resident of Govindpur block of the district, is a new face in the political circle of Dhanbad, but the presence of Jayram Mahto in the Giridih Lok Sabha constituency has made the election interesting.
The Giridih constituency is a Kudmi-dominated area. All three major candidates, sitting MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary of the AJSU—BJP alliance, Tundi MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto of the JMM-Cong-RJD alliance, and Jayram Mahto, belong to a similar caste.
JBKSS leaders said the names of more candidates would be announced soon.
