Jamshedpur : Kurmi leader Astik Mahato who recently joined Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ( JMM) in the presence of party supremo Sibu Soren and former CM cum party executive president Hemant Soren at a function in Uliyan, Kadma has been selected as party candidate to represent Jamshedpur Lok Sabha. A formal announcement is yet to be made by the party.
Sources said that since Jamshedpur seat is dominated by Kurmi voters the party has decided to field Astik, who is a popular face of the community. Though former Ichargarh MLA of JVM was also in race but the party�s senior leaders decided to field Astik. � I have made my stand clear and it is the party to take a final call on it,� said Mahto.
Kurmis hold the key to the fate of the candidates who will be contesting in the coming Jamshedpur Lok Sabha election to be held on May 12. In all the four rural segments – Jugsalai, Potka, Bahragora and Ghatshila – of the coveted constituency, Kurmis are dominated. 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.
A JMM leader said the party has finally decided to field Astik. The announcement is expected to take place in a day or two.
It may be mentioned here that after the 1984 elections from the Jamshedpur seat in which labour leader Gopeshwar won, Congress has never again tasted victory. Perhaps that was the reason why Congress leaders did not show any interest for this constituency.
JMM has won four times from the coveted seat. The Mahto votes have swayed in JMM�s favour Shailendra Mahto won from the Jamshedpur seat in 1989 and 1991. Then again, in 2004, Sunil Mahto won the election while the next time around that is in 2007 Suman Mahto defeated her nearest candidate by a big margin. But that was the last occasion till now, that JMM had tasted the last parliamentary success. The party�s victory spree was ultimately stopped by BJP candidate Arjun Munda in the 2009 encounter at the Jamshedpur LS turf. That led to the end of JMM reign.
�We had fielded Bidyut Baran Mahto in last election and he won the election with a huge margin. We were expecting a Kurmi candidate by the opposition alliance this time. But the people of Jamshedpur have already made their mind clear that they will vote the BJP,� said district BJP leader.
