Jharkhand Elections: Hustings battle to save legacy of father, father-in-law and husband, decision tomorrow

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: The fate of candidates contesting to preserve political legacies in the second phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections, held on November 20, will be revealed on Saturday, November 23. Over a dozen constituencies saw fierce competition as candidates sought to uphold the legacies of their fathers, husbands, or in-laws.

From Jamtara, Congress MLA Irfan Ansari is defending the legacy of his father, Furkan Ansari, a former MP. Similarly, Amit Mandal in Godda is following in the footsteps of his father, Raghunath Mandal, a former MLA. At Mandu, JP Patel, son of former MLA Teklal Mahato, is vying for victory against AJSU’s Tiwari Mahato.

In Barhet, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren is striving to protect the legacy of his father, Shibu Soren, while his brother Basant Soren is contesting from Dumka. Other candidates carrying familial legacies include Alok Soren, son of MP Nalin Soren, from Shikaripara; Arup Chatterjee, son of former MLA Gurudas Chatterjee, from Nirsa; Vinod Singh, son of Mahendra Singh, from Bagodar; Anup Singh, son of former minister Rajendra Singh, from Bermo and Manju Devi, daughter of ex-MLA Sukar Ravidas, from Jumua.

Among the women candidates, Aparna Sen Gupta is contesting from Nirsa to preserve the political heritage of her husband, Subrata Sen Gupta. Sunita Chaudhary, wife of Giridih MP Chandraprakash Chaudhary, is contesting from Ramgarh. In Pakur, Congress has fielded Nishat Alam, wife of jailed former minister Alamgir Alam, against AJSU’s Azhar Islam. Similarly, Kalpana Soren from Gandey, Ragini Singh from Jharia, and Baby Devi, wife of the late Jagannath Mahato, are contesting to uphold family legacies.

In Bokaro, Congress candidate Shweta Singh, daughter-in-law of former MLA Samaresh Singh, is challenging BJP’s Biranchi Narayan. At Mahagama, Deepika Pandey Singh, a minister in the Hemant Soren government, is fighting to preserve the legacy of her father-in-law, Awadh Bihari Singh, against BJP’s Ashok Bhagat.

The candidates have left no stone unturned in their efforts, but the final verdict now rests with the voters. The results on November 23 will determine who will succeed in safeguarding their families’ political legacy.