No take off for Teklal in Giridih, fuel seems to be exhausting
Vijay Deo Jha
Ranchi / Giridih

Giridih is one of the seats in Jharkhand where the BJP is sure about the victory of its candidate Ravindra Kumar Pandey. Courtesy, the anti-incumbency factor against the JMM candidate of the UPA combine Teklal Mahto who wrested this traditional seat of the BJP by defeating Pandey in the last general election 2004.
The constituency will go for poll on coming Thursday where contest is mainly triangular among Pandey, Mahto and Dr. Saba Ahmed of the JVM of Babulal Marandi. There are 1346320 voters.

Teklal has a tough time to explain the constituents for neglecting this starved constituency where problems are legions. From the past one month, Teklal who mainly concentrated in the rural belt has been trying to reason with the voters and hopes people will favour him. “I am aware of their problems and in the last five years I started several developmental projects to benefit the people,” Mahto told ‘The Pioneer.’

“From the last one month he has been shuttling in Giridih to seek support of the voters. As far as the development of this constituency is concerned just move around the area and you will know it,” Jyoti Mehta, a resident of Giridih town said. This sentiment is travelling across other assembly constituencies of Giridih where road exists nowhere and power remains off.

But so far he could not stop the BJP from taking edge over him where the three times MP Pandey has strengthen his hold over the voters.

Besides anti-incumbency factor what probably helps the BJP in the fight is the fractured UPA index. In the last general election Pandey was pitted against a formidable UPA coalition adding to it was the fact that the BJP was not able to turn its core urban middle class voters to the booth to counter it.

The biggest burden of Mahto is to retain Kurmi-Mahto vote back in his favour. But he will hardly be able to get their vote en block this time. Besides Mahto there are three other contenders of kurmi-Mahto vote—the BJP and the independent Indradev Mahto who has the backing of Lalchand Mahto of the Bahujan Sadan Morcha. Lalchand has a strong hold over this section of the voter particularly in Dumri and Bagodar assembly constituencies. In the last election Indradev had came third.

Problem does not end for Teklal here. The RJD has fielded Humayun Ansari, backward Muslim candidate whereas the JVM of Babulal Marandi has pressed Saba Ahamad in the electoral battle to garner the Muslim votes which otherwise went to Teklal in the last election. Although, Muslim voters here are politically aware and they decide their move a day before the election depending upon who can defeat the BJP. There are 265000 Muslim voters who had helped the JMM in giving a stunning defeat to the BJP by a margin of 149794 votes.

Each RJD and JVM stroke is music to the BJP which is confident the division of Muslim votes will help its candidate. The BJP already controls Gomia and Bermo assembly constituencies represented by its MLA Chatruram Mahto and Yogeswar Mahto in the state assembly.

To fight this oddity Teklal counts upon the traditional tribal vote bank of the party. But in this fight Teklal is alone. The JMM chief Shibu Soren is not able to campaign in his support. Aklu Ram Mahto of the CPI has also set an eye over the tribal vote of the JMM whereas a section of the party workers close to Durga Soren, son of Shibu who are determined to teach Teklal a lesson.

Teklal and his likes might have only election problem to face; voters have some more to face on the election day. One out of many of their problems is the naxal problem. Naxals have given the call to boycott the election. Barring Baghmara assembly constituency the remaining five—Dumri, Gomia, Bermo Giridih and Tundi are known as red terror zone. No party and candidate even dared to venture in Nawadih block of Bermo where no party flags flutter; no political talk even in whisper. Only red flags and liberation theology are allowed.