Silent Ratu royals set off clamour among Hatia contenders

The Ratu royal family’s studied silence over Hatia Assembly by-election has kept two potential contenders in the fray — Ajay Nath Shahdeo (JVM) and Sunil Sahay (Congress) clueless about the leanings of the Palace.

Royal patriarch Lal Chintamani Saran Nath Shahdeo (80) hardly made any public appearance after the death of his son, Gopal Saran Nath Shahdeo in 2010 who represented Hatia Assembly twice as Congress candidate.

Left without any heir-apparent to take over the royal title and one who would carry forward the political legacy, the royal household was least interested that Priyadarshani Shahdeo, widow of Gopal, should join politics when the State Congress approached Chintamani with that request, last year.

Though the Palace remains detached in the elections, but it has considerable hold over people and even a whisper from there is enough to tip electoral balance, at least in Ratu area.

Though the palace is not the election hub but it is crucial due to the vast number of Ratu raj loyalists. The silence is being interpreted as support, which both Ajay Shahdeo and Sunil Sahay camp are claiming.

Shahdeo is part of the vast Ratu royal family tree and was closely associated with Gopal. A regular visitor to the palace and the erstwhile ruler, Shahdeo is not only claiming to be the unchallenged flag bearer of the palace but also a legitimate political successor of Gopal and the family.

“Maharaja (Chintamani) blessed me with success and morally encouraged me to fight election. I start my campaign after taking his blessings and return in evening to brief him,” Shahdeo said during the campaign. He holds two sets of identity: one as Deputy Mayor of Ranchi Municipal Corporation who has grown in popularity index by making himself available anytime and anywhere and as scion of the royal family. Seeking votes he invokes his royal identity as per the mood and sentiment of audience, that too area specific.

He admitted: “Whenever I meet people they recognise me as their son and one who has made himself available to them. Many identify me as the scion of the royal family which has been serving people from centuries, especially in Ratu area. They have placed so much of faith in me,” Shahdeo said, adding his title and association with the family will help him in Ratu, if not everywhere.

But the royal household is unlikely to come out of its grand isolation to help Shahdeo. Chintamani had not issued any public appeal when Gopal was contesting elections, in fact, Ratu palace has often been reluctant to display political loyalty.

In the 50s Chintamani contested as Independent from the Ranchi Assembly constituency (Hatia was part of greater Ranchi constituency till 1974). Later, Chintamani was elected to Bihar Legislative Council as Congress candidate.

Congress feels Ajay Shahdeo’s claim as politically incorrect and is not ready to allow him to encash the popularity of late Gopal Sharan and the royal family. “Association of royal family with the Congress is an established fact. Late Gopal Sharan was a Congress legislator. JVM candidate can’t claim to carry on unfulfilled tasks of our late legislator just because he holds royal appendage…It is for the Congress party to do. Many members of the royal families across the country have different political associations, have any of them tendered same logic?” State Congress spokesperson Shailesh Sinha retorted.

If Ajay kicked off his campaign with royal blessings, Sahay had also knocked the royal gates. Amid preparations for Hatia electoral battle, set on June 12, Ratu palace is still mourning the death of its bright scion and does not want any flag or poster on its premises.