After Guruji, JMM goes to poll without manifesto

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday, April 19, 2009

This is going to be a too much too late story.

In this general election the JMM has not made any promises at all nor did it take credits of the works done by the party in the past. It is because the party is contesting elections in Jharkhand and elsewhere without any manifesto.

Yes, it has released a one page ‘Sankalp Patra’ for Dumka and Jamtatra where the party chief Shibu Soren has been contesting parliamentary and Assembly poll.

The top leaders accepted this fact candidly; stated reasons behind it without involving any circumlocution. "Yes, we have no manifesto this time. However, manifesto is in completed form and has probably come out of the printing press. But we could not release it as our leader Guruji is ill," the senior party leader and office in-charge of the party Shailendra Bhattacharya accepted this.

This is for the first time when the JMM is contesting elections without any manifesto. Even in the past, in mid 80s the JMM chief used to issue handwritten copy of the manifesto when printing and such other things, read financial resources, were scarily available.

The first phase of the elections is over and the elections for the second phase will be held on April 23 and delay reasonably demands answer whether the JMM will release manifesto after the elections are over finally. Bhattacharya on this explained that a couple of days are left for the second phase of the election. "See something will happen within two days," he seemed to have absolved himself from this lapse which, however, does make impact on the mind of the majority of voters who do not read manifesto before they cast their ballot.

"Who reads manifesto and who cast vote after reading this…releasing manifesto is a political ritual. We are more practical than the BJP and Congress. Our core constituency-the tribal and depressed; recognize us by the work done by Guruji" a senior party leader said.

Not only manifesto but also the campaign of the JMM has suffered in the absence of Soren who is not available for campaign due to his illness. Even these thing depends upon him (Soren)" said another party leader "right from campaigning to the supply of the election materials. You can see that the party flags are conspicuously absent across the constituencies and even in Dumka where he is contesting."

It created a political vacuum in the JMM after Soren was hospitalized. And there is no second rung leadership to take rein of the party in his absence. Come, the election of Jharkhand state assembly: JMM promise to release manifesto.