SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 25: As battle lines of all political parties have been drawn, an interesting scenario has appeared in the Dhanbad constituency where traditional foes have turned friends in the 2024 election.
Both national alliances NDA, INDI Alliance and two regional parties Marxists Coordination Committee (MCC), Jharkhand Bhasha Khatiyani Sangharsh Samiti (JBKSS) have announced the names of their candidates .
The voting on Dhanbad seat is scheduled in the 6th phase on May 25. But, what looks different this time in Dhanbad from past Lok Sabha polls is that some seasoned leaders of both the national parties BJP and Congress have openly come out in support of their rival candidate.
Congress senior leader and former MP Chandrashekhar Dubey alias Dadai Dubey has blessed BJP candidate Dhulu Mahto. Dadai Dubey, who won in 2004 from Dhanbad, was himself in the race for ticket this time. But the party gave ticket to his foe Anup Singh’s (Bermo MLA) wife Anupama Singh and Dubey openly blessed BJP candidate Dhulu Mahto when the latter met him at his residence.
Another Congress leader Lalan Choubey has opposed Anupama Singh, but he has not announced support for the BJP candidate.
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Three times BJP MP PN Singh, who was in the race for the 4th time but was denied a ticket, has blessed his political foe Congress candidate Anupama Singh when she met him at his Dhansar based residence.
Though after winning the party ticket Dhulu Mahto too had met PN Singh at his residence, he did not get the expected warm welcome. However, two other candidates of BJP ticket race Dhanbad sadar MLA Raj Sinha and Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan stand with Dhulu.
Another senior BJP leader, former MLA Kunti Singh (mother of former Jharia MLA Sanjiv Singh and mother in-law of Ragni Singh, BJP’s state executive committee member) has also blessed the Congress candidate Anupama Singh rather than her party candidate Dhulu Mahto.
Frequent bloody clashes between unions of Dhulu Mahto and Ragni Singh for supremacy on coal turf are considered common incidents in Dhanbad. Dhulu Mahto has not sought support from Kunti Singh so far who has massive influence in Jharia assembly constituency.
Interestingly Congress candidate Anupama Singh also visited the house of MCC leader former MLA Arup Chatterjee in Nirsa who has already fielded his candidate Jagdish Rawani in this election. But at the same time she overlooked senior Cong leader Suresh Chandra Jha who has massive influence in the Nirsa area.
