Move to ‘coax' unwilling Das to run for Jamshedpur seat
RANCHI | Thursday, March 3, 2011
VIJAY DEO JHA/PARVINDAR BHATIA | RANCHI/JAMSHEDPUR

There is an unusual buzz in the BJP house largely surrounding Raghuwar Das, an unwilling candidate for Jamshedpur parliamentary seat. Ironically, Das' detractors are wishing and planning for his success!

Following the resignation of Chief Minister Arjun Munda, the Jamshedpur seat has gone vacant. Munda won the Kharsawan Assembly by-election. Known for their mutual resentment and opposition to each other - Munda and Das have left no effort to cut down each other's political size.

The Jamshedpur episode seems to be coming full circle once again. In 2009 general election, Das as the state BJP head had successfully pushed Munda out of State politics by persuading central BJP to field him from Jamshedpur. Das did it with an eye to the Assembly election, fearing that Munda's presence would prevent him from extending his sway.

Das' master stroke hit Munda perfectly, but it was short-lived to make any impact. Munda manoeuvered his comeback in State politics and formed the coalition government with the old combine that had led to the fall of the then Shibu Soren Government.

But fielding Das is subject to several factors of coalition politics and the number of desperate and unemployed faces in the BJP that are nudging to be considered for the seat.

After supporting the BJP and Munda in Kharsawan against the mounting Opposition assault, the JMM now has demanded BJP to support it in Jamshedpur. Even in the BJP it will not be easy to sort out the competing clamour from an exhaustive catalogue. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce the schedule for Jamshedpur.

State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami, former MLA Dinesh Sarangi, Saryu Rai and many others are believed to be in the race. Das may hope for more confusion and chaos on the party and, coalition front over Jamshedpur, before his adversaries come forward with innocent looks and devious script against him.

Sources in BP said that a group is silently working behind the scenes to push Das for Jamshedpur, using the same old argument which Das' camp had once used for Munda for Jamshedpur.

"Das could undoubtedly prove the strongest candidate of the BJP for Jamshedpur seat. But then, it is premature to make any comment," a close Munda man said guardedly.

It is not that Das has no inkling and fear of this design. He feigns ignorance though. "This may be the talk of the town. People might have been talking about me…I do not know what is going on the party front," Das told The Pioneer.

But Das has been advised not to succumb to any pressure that primarily aims to clear the field for Munda. By shunting him out of the State politics to the national level, Das will have no role to play. Munda may get premium benefit in the long run but his trusted lieutenant like Amarpreet Singh Kale, BJP spokesperson, have set sight on Das' constituency Jamshedpur (East).

Failing to prevent Munda from becoming CM of the coalition government, last year, Das was subdued after receiving condemnation from party's central leadership. To his credit, Das has prevented a total polarisation of the state BJP in favour of Munda that often prostrates when asked to bend.