Jamshedpur, March 26 : Kurmis hold the key to the fate of the 15 candidates in the coming Jamshedpur Lok Sabha election to be held on May 12. The parties fray will be taking every possible step to woo Kurmi voters most of whom hail from the four rural segments – Jugsalai, Potka, Bahragora and Ghatshila – of the coveted constituency.
The candidates in fray will be giving maximum time in the rural pockets for holding sway among the Kurmi population. Kurmis constitute over 2.5 lakh of the 16 lakh voters in the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat. Jugsalai and Bahragora assembly constituencies have the largest concentration of Kurmi votes. The BJP had successfully drawn Kurmi voters into its fold following the tainted yet influential Kurmi leader ShailendraMahato joining the party in the mid-Nineties.
Moreover, the Kurmis are also spread in large numbers in villages dotting either side of the NH 33 (till Chakulia), which is known for active BJP workers.
This was the prime reason why the saffron party decided to field BidhyutBaranMahto, who is the only Kurmi among the 15-odd candidates. Mahto enjoys good rapport amongst the kurmi voters but his sudden shift to saffron brigade might also make his sail tough this time.
�Bidyutjee is a well-known leader not only in the rural belt but in the urban areas too. Coupled with Modi wave we are confident to register overwhelming victory,� said Anil Modi, district BJP spokesperson.
Meanwhile, JMM had the traditional backing of the Kurmi community. Though elders in the community agree that Kurmis are dominant in the state�s politics, they bemoan the fact that the community lacks unity. That, they feel, is the reason for why Kurmis do not have a proportionate representation in the Parliament or the state Assembly.
The JMM candidate�s apprehension is based on his rival�s presence in the four rural Assembly segments � Ghatshila, Potka, Baharagora and Jugsalai. To keep Mahto�s influence at bay and to check vote splitting, JMM is planning to depute all senior leaders to campaign in the rural belt.
