Jharkhand CM push for victory of UPA-backed Congress candidate in Ramgarh by-poll 

BJP backed Ajsu candidate gears up for tough fight with ruling alliance

Ranchi, February 16: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has given a message to all the alliance partners to go all out to ensure victory of Congress candidate Bajrang Mahato in the Ramgarh by-poll scheduled on February 27.

In this connection an meeting of top UPA leaders was held at Chief Minister’s residence at Kanke Road, Ranchi on Wednesday evening to ensure the victory of the alliance candidate in the Ramgarh assembly by-election and chalk out a strategy.

Hemant Soren discussed point-wise with the top leaders of UPA in view of the political equation of Ramgarh by-election and decided to enter the election field with full energy. Showing solidarity to all the leaders of the alliance, Hemant Soren once again gave the mantra to hoist the flag of victory in the Ramgarh assembly by-election.

Bajrang Mahto, discussed with the Chief Minister about the campaign and other important points.

Hemant Soren told all the top UPA leaders present in the meeting and workers from different blocks of Ramgarh assembly to be ready to give a befitting reply to the opponents in the Ramgarh assembly by-election.

Hemant Soren also asked all the workers to remain united and put their efforts for the victory of the candidate of the alliance till the booth level.

The meeting was attended by Congress president Rajesh Thakur,  rural development minister Alamgir Alam,  agriculture minister Badal Patralekh, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha senior leader and member state coordination committee Vinod Pandey, former MLA Fagu Besra, Yogendra Mahato, RJD state president Sanjay Singh Yadav and others.

Significantly, Ramgarh by-election is heading for a two-cornered contest between  NDA-backed AJSU candidate Sunita Choudhary and ruling alliance-backed Congress candidate Bajrang Mahato.

Since the BJP has decided to support the AJSU candidate who is the wife of Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary, who had represented the Ramgarh Assembly continuously from 2005 to 2019, it would prove to be the toughest challenge for the ruling alliance-backed Congress candidate Mahato, the husband of convicted MLA Mamata Devi.

In all the four bye-elections (Dumka, Madhupur, Bermo and Mandar) held under Hemant Soren-led government in the last three years, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance won comfortably.

The Ramgarh bypoll was necessitated after the sitting Congress MLA Mamta Devi was convicted  in a case at Hazaribagh Court.

AJSU spokesperson Deosharan Bhagat, however, exuded confidence in their candidate’s victory. 

“There is a sense of resentment among the masses as the present state government has failed to fulfil its promises and meet expectations. This will be reflected in the outcome of the bypoll. We are going house to house, campaigning for our candidate to ensure that there is a record victory for our candidate.”