Peacemakers swing into action after brickbatting

Vijay Deo Jha

Hawks in the BJP and the JMM have done their job with predatory swiftness; it is time for the peaceniks to play their role.After the JMM Ministers Hazi Hussain Ansari and Mathura Mahto and BJP MP, Nishikant Dubey; ticked-off each others party on the last few days of the election campaign of the Jamshedpur parliamentary byelection, leaders of both the parties have now decided to halt their offensive.

“Election me toka taki chalti rahti hai lekin yeh election tak hi hai, (During the election a bit byplay happens. But it is limited up to the election only),” a senior BJP leader said. But top BJP sources admitted that the attack of BJP MP Dubey against the JMM and Deputy CM Hemant Soren as anti-development was premeditated and political.

“The BJP considers the JMM as its chief rival in the election…but we were facing problem in attacking the JMM since we are coalition partners in the Government. We had to do this and Dubey did this for us,” source said. But another top BJP leader explained that the BJP was not the first to start war of words. “They were the first to start this. We just delivered them in measured riposte after they threatened the BJP to pull down the Government,” he said. The JMM MLA and Minister in the coalition Government Hazi Hussain Ansari led the BJP into provocation as during an election rally he threatened the BJP to pull down the Government if it least wished to dominate its wishes.

Ansari was ministering the fortune of his own party in the election and trying to stitch Muslim support behind the party. A non-stop counterattack soon followed from both the sides. Dubey labeled JMM and Hemant as anti-development explaining the people that the consort of coalition with the JMM was forced by the compelling political circumstances. The last two days of campaign remained so tense for the warring alliance partners that Hemant lodged protest with the Chief Minister Arjun Munda but also issued a public statement not dismissing an imminent Assembly election.
An enthusiastic JMM MLA and Minister Mathura Mahto even went on to claim the CM post for the party.But after initial bickering; both the parties have decided not to add more in the trust deficit and fragile coalition. After making a frontal attack against the JMM, the BJP bosses have privately called for restrains; fearing the election results of the Jamshedpur might have wider ramification on the health of the Government.What exasperated the JMM was a frontal attack of the BJP against Hemant. The BJP termed it unbecoming as JMM Ministers are speaking against the Government.