THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, February 19: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and former Governor Raghubar Das on Thursday warned against any “dacoity of mandate” in the Medininagar Municipal Corporation mayoral election, asserting that the BJP would not tolerate electoral malpractice in the ongoing urban local body elections.
“The BJP will not tolerate any dacoity of mandate in this urban local body election. If officers—from IAS and IPS to magistrates—are found indulging in dacoity of votes, they will face serious consequences for their misdeeds,” Das said while addressing party workers and supporters in Daltonganj.
He also reiterated that the civic body elections must be conducted in a fair and free manner.
Campaigning for Aruna Shankar ahead of February 23 voting
Raghubar Das arrived in Daltonganj on Wednesday to campaign for BJP-supported candidate Aruna Shankar, who is contesting the mayoral post in the Medininagar Municipal Corporation election. Voting is scheduled for February 23.
As part of his campaign strategy, Das held discussions with two Gupta women candidates, Jayashree and Meena, who were also in the mayoral fray. He persuaded them to withdraw in favour of Aruna Shankar in an effort to prevent fragmentation of votes.
Although Jayashree and Meena were not considered major electoral forces, Das sought to consolidate support behind the BJP-backed candidate to help her retain the mayoral post for a second consecutive term.
Two rebels remain in contest
However, Das was unable to persuade two BJP rebels to fall in line. Former BJP district president Parshuram Ojha and former deputy mayor Mangal Singh have fielded their spouses, Janki Devi and Rinku Singh, respectively, against Aruna Shankar.
When asked about the rebels, Das limited his response, stating that their spouses are contesting as Independents. He avoided making any harsh remarks against Ojha and Singh.
BJP takes every election seriously, says Das
Responding to a query from The Jharkhand Story Network on the presence of top BJP leaders—including the party’s national vice president, national general secretary and himself—in the urban local body elections, Das said the BJP treats every election with equal seriousness.
“The BJP takes every election seriously. It fights panchayat elections with the same spirit and energy as it fights Vidhan Sabha or Lok Sabha elections. Our workers are confident of victory here,” he said.
Sharp attack on JMM and Congress
Das also launched a strong attack on the ruling JMM and the Congress, accusing them of appeasing a particular community for votes.
“The Congress and the JMM have used Muslims only as a vote bank. These parties never miss an opportunity to exploit them,” he alleged.
He claimed that a Congress leader recently created a controversy by pushing a “false narrative” in an attempt to draw Muslim votes away from the JMM, suggesting that the two parties are at loggerheads over minority support.
The former chief minister also alleged that an organised crime network operative was making intimidating calls to influence voters in favour of a particular community candidate.
Calling the JMM-led government a “total failure,” Das said youths, farmers and traders had all been “duped” under the present regime.
Impact of Das’ visit
Political observers say Das’ visit may boost the electoral prospects of Aruna Shankar, particularly in key booths. However, it remains uncertain whether rival candidates have the resources or campaign strength to counter his influence.
His visit saw “two hits and two misses”—the consolidation of two Gupta candidates in favour of Aruna Shankar, and the continued presence of two BJP rebels in the contest.