Banna’s big fight with Balmuchu
VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI

Congress’ roaring claim to conquer the Jamshedpur by-election during party workers’ meeting at Tilak Maidan in Jamshedpur was doubted by many hush-up voices within the party.

The meeting that was called to draft electoral strategy drifted towards division and protest over the candidature of Banna Gupta against the State Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu who lost in the ticket fray at the hand of the former.

More than the party and its, the by-election of Jamshedpur is a prestige point for party’s state in-charge Sakil Ahmed who is reported to instrumental behind the last moment denial of ticket to him.
They heaped blame on the central leadership for giving undue favour to Banna. Banna joined the party barely one and half year back — became an MLA and now bracing for a big jump in the politics; which they termed “a big injustice to a senior leader like Balmuchu who had brighter chances of success in the election.”

Ahmed was too polite to face their barb offensive fearing a face-off will bring loss of face of the party. “But he snubbed them too that party’s electoral loss will be considered as the leadership lapse of Balmuchu by the central Congress. He reminded them that the leadership never ignored Balmuchu and it never happened in the history of Congress that a leader was given so much of years (seven years) to serve as party president beyond set tenure,” a senior party leader confided.

The fissure and fault-line in the party was distinctly visible on the very day of the filing of nomination papers by Gupta; marked by conspicuously absence of the Balmuchu camp.
Barring Hidaytullah of the Balmuchu camp and a few party leaders like MLA Gitashree Oraon, none turned-up which is generally considered an occasion to present a united face of the party. It remained a low key affair; indicating gap in the party line that Banna tried to fill-up by carting local party leaders.

Nevertheless, the entry of Banna has made the contest quite interesting an affair where he is in contest with Sudhir Mahto (JMM), Dineshnanda Goswami (BJP), Ajay Kumar (JVM), Astik Mahto (AJSU) and Suman Mahto (Trinmool Congress).

A good crowd puller and popular face Banna has already displayed his control over the electorates by defeating BJP veteran Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur (West) assembly constituency in the last election.

Banna has good hold over Jamshedpur (East) also but East and West alone can not write success story of Banna. There is Ghatsila too, where Balmuchu is still in the position to tilt the balance despite he lost the last assembly election against JMM’s Ramdash Soren.

Even party’s district and block level units have formidable presence of Balmuchu’s men. Banna is a declared member of anti-Balmuchu camp that has made its distaste to his style of functioning for turning the party into a defunct and dysfunctional entity.

Even Balmuchu had not anticipated such anti-climax of his claim for candidature since he was widely believed and discussed among top party bosses as one and only whose candidature was certain.

Much before the schedules of Jamshedpur by-election was declared Balmuchu had started doing ground work of future battle by holding regular meetings and press conferences. But the decision to field Banna at the last moment dashed his dream to the ground. Caught unaware, Balmuchu had even purchased nomination papers whereas the central leadership firmly told him to review his claim.

“If the division remains continue and the Balmuchu camp goes inert it will be very tough for Banna to find even a single Congress worker in the rural area for campaigning,” a party office bearer said.