A tale of how money powers House entry

Against his pretending low-profile which can dismiss him as an attendant who runs errand for a powerful politician, this whistleblower has a tale to tell — how money powers a contestant to the Rajya Sabha.

He has witnessed ‘horse-trading’ during the Rajya Sabha election in Jharkhand, and passed many critical clues to the Income Tax.

On the condition of anonymity, this 45-year-old man opens his mouth: “I will be eliminated if they (the contestants) get to know about me. I may have breached their trust but I did it for a good cause.”

Closely associated with many powerful politicians, this man has been a frequent visitor to the power corridor. He is now ready to blow the lids off the sensational story of MLAs being put on the auction by candidates contesting the Jharkhand RS poll. This anonymous whistleblower was roped-in by one or other candidates to muster votes of MLAs.

“At the last moment, the entire game of the Rajya Sabha election turned into a tussle between the merchants,” he said. The man revealed some more names who remained closely associated with one of the contestants during the RS poll campaign.

The whistleblower added that one Rajiv Kumar Singh, resident of Ashok Nagar, who is believed to be Central Government employee in Delhi, was the right hand man of one of the contestants in the RS poll. “This contestant offered `2 crore for the vote of first preference and `1 crore for the vote of second preference,” he said. In the first lot of payment this person had paid money to 13 MLAs, including those from the JMM and some independents.

The whistleblower claimed that a couple of BJP MLAs too entered into deals with this contestant. However, the whistleblower also mentioned couple of names who refused the bribe offer for vote. They were Raghuwar Das, Neelkanth Singh Munda of the BJP, Annapurna Devi of the RJD and all BJP Ministers in the State Government.

“The second contestant had a rather lucrative offer that gave competition to the first contestant who had offered `2 crore for the vote of first preference and `1 crore for the vote of second preference. This second contestant offered `2.30 crore for first preference vote and `1.50 crore for second preference. He contacted around 29 MLAs of the BJP and the JMM, independent and others. He was very careful and cautious,” said the whistleblower. This contestant rather deployed top industrialist or business family of the said constituency of MLAs to secure their votes.

“Heavy payment was made on Thursday night (a day before the election). They used all their resources to make best electoral deal that night. A white Indica car was parked on the Assembly premises and was used to bring money. It slipped before we could inform Income Tax sleuths,” added the whistleblower.

Top Income Tax sources told The Pioneer that 21 MLAs of the Assembly were under IT scanner. “We received vital information. We can’t disclose the names of whistleblowers. We have evidence to suggest that around six to seven MLAs received money to cast their vote,” said a top official.

“The second contestant is known to me and I had campaigned for him as he was a good candidate. But that does not mean that either he or me were involved in any horse-trading,” said the whisteblower.

Gadkari visits Munda but heels coalition

It was a handshake largely seen as an attempt to minimise the shock that once rocked the coalition boat; even disturbing the trust template between the BJP and the JMM during and after the Rajya Sabha elections.

National BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Deputy Chief Minister Hemant Soren had this handshake moment twice, on Sunday, without clamour of attention and pops of the flashbulbs.

Gadkari along with party’s national general secretary Vijay Goyal and Kiran Maheswari visited Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Sunday who is recovering after sustaining injuries during chopper crash and later admitted in Apollo Hospital. Conspicuously, Soren arrived moments before Gadkari reached at the Apollo to receive him. Gadkari along with Soren stayed for around 20 minutes with Munda and expressed satisfaction over his recovery. Neither the place nor the moment was convenient even for light political discussion.

Sources having privy to that meeting said: “Gadkariji inquired about the health of Chief Minister and he was particularly pleased to find Soren alongside Mundaji and had a warm handshake. It was a not a mere handshake…it was political gesture by both to rebuff reports of rift between the coalition partners after the Rajya Sabha elections.”

There were instances and episodes outside to suggest it. Though, both Soren and Gadkari did not offer anything for political consumption over the functioning of the Government and understanding of the coalition partners except saying that any report of misunderstanding and grudge was unfounded. Soren rather insisted to accompany Gadkari to the airport in his car where they had detailed talk over strengthening coalition tie and running the Government smoothly.

“Gadkari’s visit has energised the party and strengthened the Government further,” State BJP president Dineshnanda Goswami told The Pioneer later on.

“Soren was very active. He remained with Gadkari and even insisted to drop him to his private aircraft as though he was trying to compensate the mistake in the past for not visiting Gadkari and other senior party leaders in Delhi to resolve differences between the BJP and the JMM over separate candidature of these two parties. They had handshake here again,” sources said.

Even the JMM insiders were of the view that such gestures are subject to serious political interpretation. “It was something beyond mere courtesy meeting and welcome if Deputy Chief Minister accompanied Gadkari during his Ranchi visit. He even did not mind to let himself mixed-up with the State BJP leaders and workers who had turned in large number to welcome Gadkari,” a senior JMM leader said.

“If something was lost during and after the Rajya Sabha election we recovered it,” the leader said. When one of those men called Gadkari and the other Soren, it’s never just a handshake, it is something beyond that.

Itki Road — where locals ‘battle’ for Hatia before bypoll

The comforting thing for people of Hatia is that they will finally elect their representative after a gap of two years. The irritating thing is that it is testing their patience.

Those who anxiously waited over the years have to wait for another month to cast their votes, and it is far too long to give speculation wings about who will represent Hatia. But in Hatia, people relish politics as much they relish tea to carry on a debate.

They discuss like an expert about which way things would turn in Hatia and which way they won’t. Once an argument has erupted, it acts as a catalyst triggering a chain reaction; often turbulent.

Around half-a-dozen young and middle-aged people occupying a long wooden bench at a tea-cum-sweet stall on Itki Road; almost look like pantheon of local Gods arranged in a row. The morning’s newspapers have been read, the headmen taking turns, and a round of tea ordered. “Election is going to be very interesting. I have attended dozen election

meetings. JVM is pulling crowds while Congress has a thin attendance. “JVM ka Ajay Nath Shahdeo to nikaal lega (JVM’s Ajay Nath Shahdeo will surely get through),” Sadhucharan Mahto observes and waits for somebody to react.

“Yes, yes with hired crowd he is indeed going to win,” Vinay Shamra (38) says, softly but deliberately, like nudging a match close to the fuse. It soon turns into a full blown debate invoking their respective allegiance to the party and allegations against candidates. Complaints are that infrastructure and basic facilities remained absent in Hatia. For a couple of them Congress candidate Sunil Sahay can be the safe bet who can propel development in Hatia keeping the fact in mind that he happens to be the younger brother of Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay.

“Minister has done a lot of things. If his brother is elected it will be a plus for the constituency. Sahay is a minister and you will see the change, just keep your eyes open,” Md Sallauddin interrupts.

“Yes, only Hatia is left to be turned into Honolulu otherwise the Minister has changed the face of entire Jharkhand. He gave us roads, adequate electricity and civic facilities. Who is answerable for our displacement?” a retort dripping with sarcasm comes from the other end of the bench.

This is a pocket where the Congress and the JVM have equal influence, so there are fewer to support the BJP with Brijnandan Bhagat, a shopkeeper, the lone supporter. He tucks tobacco under the lower lip and leaps into an unending debate. “The Government is showing good performance. Unfortunate if people don’t reward Government for good work,” he says. He counts number of welfare measures taken by the Government like CM’s Ladli Lakshmi Yojna.

But naysayer like Vinay Sharma is ready to blot performance sheet of the Government. “Ghoshna se kya hota hai? Maine teen mahine pahle apni beti ke liye apply kiya tha lekin clerk paisa mangta hai. Yeh sab chochlebazi hai, (Does announcement make any difference? I had applied three months back for the benefit but clerks are seeking bribe. All these are platitudes), “ he said, ruthlessly tearing apart each others’ claims.

“After decades you get a Chief Minister who wants to work and you are tripping him in this fashion, Jharkhandiyon ki mati mari gayi hai (Jharkhandis have lost their senses),”

Bhagat leaves the debate midway. A crowd has gathered to hear arguments at the free public show. The Itki road is no ordinary crossroad, a centre of heated debate

where arguments spin off in many directions.

RS money game: Kings & pawns under I-T lens

Top sources in the Income Tax department claimed having gathered sufficient clues about a woman legislator of ruling coalition who believed to have received Rs 2 crore from an independent candidate of RS election outside Jharkhand as a price to cast her vote.

“We can’t reveal much about the payment as it will affect the case but one of her relatives received said amount,” top sources in the Income Tax department told the Pioneer over telephone.

The case is likely to be transferred to the CBI by Tuesday, after the Jharkhand High Court directed Election Commission of India to handover the case of  horse trading to the CBI. IT sources said that a former MP from Jharkhand who was involved in mustering MLAs support for an independent candidate is likely to be quizzed.

“He was chief architect of the election strategy of an independent candidate who used his political and personal connections to get support of some of the independent MLAs and others. We strongly suspect amounts were paid to MLAs ,” sources said.

Investigating the matter Income Tax suspect involvement of a city based hotelier who had arranged five rooms at his hotel to one independent candidate during RS election. A search operation was carried in the hotel on Thursday night-a day before RS polling by the Income Tax. “We did not find anything to suggest wheeling and dealing. But what was suspicious was that the hotel had not maintained proper register of its occupants and check-in period. They need to explain to us,” an IT official who was the part of the search team said. During the grilling hotel authorities accepted that one Ram Bangar had booked these rooms.

Interestingly, suspended BJP MLA Ramchandra Baitha who is believed to have voted for Dhoot made a secret visit to Income Tax department a few days back. “We can’t doubt anybody just because one has voted for those who are under scanner. But Baitha said us that a former MP had contacted him for vote in the favour of a certain candidate,” an insider said. Baitha accepted having met some top IT official but he refused to divulge the detail.

While scores of MLAs cutting across the party line have been under constant watch of the Income Tax and investigative agencies; IT Department has prepared the list of persons who are alleged to be either a liaison or acted as a courier to pay money to some of the MLAs.

The IT Department has got vital lead about a person known as Pappu belonging to Barhet who was managing votes of MLAs from Santhal Pargana.

“We request common people and whistleblowers to help us to provide information about the horse trading during RS poll,” Income Tax Commissioner Ajit Kumar Srivastava said.

Liquor mafia spectre looms over case

The CBI suspects that liquor syndicate played an active role in managing votes for an independent candidate during March 30 Rajya Sabha election that was countermanded following allegations of horse trading.

During a raid on the premises of Vishnu Bhaiya, JMM MLA from Jamtara, the CBI on April 21, had seized Toyota Fortuner vehicle and Rs four lakh from the possession of Bhaiya. During interrogation, Bhaiya claimed that the said vehicle was given to him by one Yogendra Tiwari, a local businessman, who has considerable control over liquor market.

During investigation it was revealed that the vehicle was purchased a day after polling with cash payment of Rs 25 Lakh. Vehicle was purchased against the name of a business firm Chakrapani Commodities Private Limited having its office in Kolkata which appears to be non-existent. The address of the company has been shown P4, New Howrah Bridge, Approach Road, Kolkata 700001 while purchase deal has been signed by one Chandan Kumar Singh, who is shown to be the manager of the said firm.

The CBI sent a team to verify the existence of the company. “No such company by this name exists. P4 is a big business premise. If the company of said name is situated in the building it must have shop number, at least. Even after we tried to trace it out and seized rental records of last three years from the possession of the building society. There was criminal intent behind, Tiwari has no convincing reply,” a CBI official said.

“Purchasing vehicle on the name of a fake business firm is itself doubtful. Another doubtful thing is that the vehicle was purchased a day after polling. Agency believes that Vishnu Bhaiya used Tiwari as front man for purchase of vehicle,” the official said.

Asked to explain was the vehicle a gift from Tiwari or purchased from money out of graft Bhaiya said: “Tiwari has already claimed ownership of vehicle. He had voluntarily offered me its use. He handed it over on April 2,” he said.

During interrogation Tiwari told the CBI that that Bhaiya had forced him to give a vehicle as he had been demanding protection money. But the CBI has doubts over the story. “Vishnu Bhaiya has been representing Jamtara from the last two terms. There is no such record or report that the MLA ever sought protection money from Tiwari,” official said.

CBI sources said that the MLA had cast second preference vote to independent candidate Pawan Kumar Dhoot which the MLA had accepted before the media after the polling.

A 32-year-old Tiwari is the story of meteoric rise in liquor business in the last five years which his father Rameswar Tiwari had established. Virtually controlling liquor business in Santhal Pargana division; Tiwari soon expanded his business in the hotel industry and constructed a big hotel Utsav Landmark in Jamtara. Resident of Mihizam, Tiwari was close to Congress leader Furkan Ansari.

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.

Mysterious lady Lalita surfaces in RS horse trading case

An independent candidate of March 30 Rajya Sabha election and his close associates were in regular touch with one Lalita through three different MTS mobile numbers, during election period. The Pioneer has documents to show that she happens to be the relative of an independent MLA who is learnt to have cast vote for that independent.

The CBI investigation into the RS poll has revealed that these three MTS numbers along with seven others were obtained on forged documents in the month of March against the name of Yakub Ali and others, by one Ram Bangar through to fix deals with power brokers and MLAs to get votes of MLAs for the said independent candidate. All these SIMs were destroyed on March 30 to wipe out any evidence of alleged horse trading.

Information and documents show, March 27 to March 29, Lalita on her Airtel number (20 as last two digits) had received 24 calls from three MTS numbers which are under the CBI scanner.

Information and documents available with The Pioneer indicate that Lalita had received six calls between 7 AM to 2 PM on March 27th from two MTS (number, 69 and 87 as last two digits of the respective numbers). The said MTS number, ending with 69, is said to be registered against the name of Ali. She had received call from MTS number (87) at 3.18 PM. On March 28 she had received at least 15 calls from MTS (69) from 9 PM to 10 PM.

On March 29 she received three calls from the same MTS number (69) between 3.47 AM to 12.47 AM. On March 29 she had received another two calls; at 4.09 PM and 7.47 PM respectively, from another MTS mobile number ending with 53. The longer call durations land Lalita in doubt as she does not seem to be an ordinary subscriber.

Further verifying about the mysterious lady in communication, it was found that Lalita is the residence of Tundul Doriya Toli Nayasaray locality: She had furnished documents of aforesaid residential address to the MTS service provider.

It is not a mere coincidence that the MLA had mentioned same address in an affidavit dated April 5, 2004 submitted to the Election Commission during filing his nominations in 2004 Assembly election. It is not a mere coincidence that the said MLA has mentioned Lalita as his wife in the affidavit. The only difference lies in the surname which is not so significant.

The doubtful thing is that the said 10 MTS numbers, including mentioned three, were used to communicate with more than a dozen powerful political persons during the  election period. The Pioneer is in the possession of certain details which indicates that Lalita or the person using her phone were in active touch with an independent MLA and close aide of other independent MLA whose conducts are under CBI scanner.

Taking a clue out of the May 18 raids by the CBI when the agency questioned Yakub Ali of Mandar about the 10 MTS SIMs obtained against his name, The Pioneer further probed the mystery behind use of these MTS numbers during the elections to reveal nexus. The Pioneer had first reported secret use of MTS numbers in its May 8 edition.

"Circumstances indicate indulgence of independent candidate and person using Lalita's number in some foul play since there is no reason to receive and make calls from secret or doubtful numbers at a time when investigative agencies had kept close eyes on any possible use of money," an intelligence official said.

All looked the other way while MLAs cross-voted

Cross-voting by MLAs during March 30 Rajya Sabha elections has forced political parties to keep mum rather than address the tough issue which is now under CBI investigation.

Two consecutive CBI raids on the premises of 18 MLAs, on April 21 and May 18, and investigations so far reveal that dozens of MLAs were involved in alleged horse trading to cast first or second preference vote for an Independent candidate without any qualms for falling on the integrity index.

They had read and signed directives of their parties to cast first preference vote to the party candidate or to the alliance candidate and had been warned that using second preference will be considered anti-party activity.

The Congress invoked the name of party national president Sonia Gandhi. The BJP held two sessions for its MLAs on polling day and force-fed them the concept of clean politics. The JMM chief Shibu Soren resorted to theatrics to urge that Sanjeev Kumar’s win was his last wish.

Sitting in Patna, RJD chief, Lalu Prasad directed his MLAs to support Congress candidate Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu. But the directive got lost somewhere in Ranchi where couple of RJD MLAs had some other ‘profitable’ plans.

The AJSU Party announced support to the JMM candidate which remained on paper. AJSU party minister, Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, was busy calculating required votes and bargaining support price for an Independent candidate which became evident after the CBI seized a chart-sheet from his residence.

Election Commission had forewarned to countermand election in case of horse trading and Income Tax Department even seized `2.15 crore cash from the possession of close aides of Independent candidate RK Agrawal. It happened despite the BJP, Congress and JMM deputing seasoned leaders as election agents. The AJSU party, RJD and JD(U) by not appointing any election agent, had silently allowed cross-voting.

CBI sources said four out of five AJSU MLAs, three from the RJD and one of the JD(U) MLAs had voted for Pawan Kumar Dhoot. Leaders of the BJP, Congress and JMM are finding it tough to explain the circumstances under which their MLAs dared to cross party line.

 The BJP had appointed Anant Ojha and Balmukund Sahay as polling agent. Two of BJP MLAs, Ramchandra Baitha and Arun Mandal, reportedly cast their first and second preference vote to Dhoot despite the party had announced to support the JMM. The party had previous notion about Baitha but had no inkling about Mandal. The CBI during raids seized Rs 15 lakh cash from his residence. “It is a mystery. Though, he had shown his ballot to our polling agent, size of the ballot paper was quite small. He might have managed,” a senior party leader said. Baitha rather got reward for cross-voting as the BJP revoked his suspension from the party after a gap of two years.

The JMM election agent Supriyo Bhattachary who had claimed that JMM fold remained united and none used second preference, had, no convincing explanation after three of the JMM MLAs, Sita Soren, Polush Surin and Vishnu Bhaiya, allegedly voted for Dhoot. “To the best of my knowledge none defied party line. If it happened I should blame my poor eyesight,” he said.

Leader of the Congress legislative body Rajendra Singh, who was election agent of the party along with Chandrasekhar Dubey, too was evasive. “I am very outspoken. When Anant Pratap Dev had cast vote for the JVM candidate by mistake I promptly demanded its cancellation. We had been ensuring first preference vote. If anybody cheated by using second preference to help others, then the party is going to take action,” he said.

But the CBI sources are not ready to believe election agents as ‘innocent fellows with poor eyesight’. “It was a grand conspiracy hatched at the top level. Stage was managed in advance and suitable premium was paid,” CBI sources said.

AJSU Party ropes in Dhoni’s big brother for Hatia poll campaign

At least on two occasions — when summer is at its peak and elections are announced—Narendra Singh Dhoni, elder brother of Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, turns busy.

During summers he inaugurates drinking water kiosks at different places in Ranchi to help public and he does not fail to invite media to showcase his philanthropy. He takes on the job of a plumber, often repairing water taps. He gets busy when there is election as he is invited by political parties or candidates for campaigning. This summer, Narendra has double assignments as the by-election of Hatia Assembly has been announced.

Narendra has been roped in by the AJSU Party to campaign for the party candidate Naveen Jaiswal. Narendra inaugurated election office of the AJSU Party at Doranda on Friday. “AJSU Party represents dream of vibrant Jharkhand. It is the party of young people,” Narendra said during the inauguration.

“Among candidates, in this by-election, I have found Naveen is true to the people. It is time for us to show trust in him,’ Narendra has fulsome praise for Naveen. Leaders of the AJSU Party were happy not just because a couple of the BJP workers and ward-level leaders joined the AJSU Party fold, it was happy also because Narendra had joined them.

Younger brother Dhoni is a close friend of AJSU Party chief Sudesh Kumar Mahto. “If cricket family of Jharkhand makes an appeal for the party, it will at least compel youths to think,” said Deepak Thakur, an AJSU Party worker.

Politics is not a new enterprise for Narendra, though. During 2009 Parliamentary elections, Narendra had joined the BJP in the presence of the party president Raghuwar Das. Narendra had taken primary membership of the party along with 11 others. He had campaigned for the BJP. Though, he was nowhere responsible for the defeat of the BJP candidate Ramtahal Chaudhary, but he was not a vote catcher even in his locality. “He had delivered a dud. Interestingly, many in the party believed that he will be successful in wooing voters,” a senior BJP leader said.

The BJP has no idea whether Narendra holds primary membership of the party or has resigned. “We have no idea about this. He has obsession for politics. Politics is something that you learn over the years. Politics is something that comes as inheritance. Being the brother of a celebrity is no guarantee of success in politics. Mahendra Singh Dhoni can have an impact on voters. But being the elder brother of Dhoni will not work,” BJP leader Kamal Khan said.

In the surcharged political atmosphere in Hatia, weathermen have predicted no respite from heat. Many are waiting for Narendra to find time for philanthropic act of setting up drinking water kiosks out of his busy political schedule.

Of myths, misunderstandings and Munda’s Chatra visit

Two popular myths surround Chatra district. The first — Goddess Bhadrakali’s ancient temple in Itkhori has been protecting the area from natural and manmade ravage all these. The second is a perception that Chatra is part of a Welfare State.

A grand pre-Holi celebration was organised on Sunday night by former BJP MLA from Chatra to welcome Munda in the district, which he called one of the most challenging and critical in Jharkhand. The next day banned CPI (Maoist) gave a call for Jharkhand bandh.

Chatra which shuts down even at a mere rumour of a Maoists-called bandh, seemingly ignored the call on Monday. Chatra roads bore a deserted look in the morning but only till the CM’s noisy convoy passed through the Chatra-Itkhori road. Villages on the flanks flocked to see the passing cavalcade even asking Munda to spend few moments with them. They had meticulously planned to use these moments to submit handwritten petitions of their problems and demands.

The greater part of Chatra is an area of darkness and poverty, metaphorically and quite literally.

“The important thing to me is that there is an air of expectation. Overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and the way they came out despite call for bandh I decided to spend more time with them,” Munda told The Pioneer late on Monday evening at Giridih Circuit House.

Twice during select media briefing on Monday morning, Munda called Chatra as one of the most challenging areas of Jharkhand in terms of impact of Maoism and under-development.

“While, I have assigned my Ministers to supervise different districts, I personally felt I should look after Chatra. It is one of the critical and challenging districts. It is a big responsibility,” Munda said.

“I wanted to clear certain misunderstandings about Chatra that’s why I decided night stay here. I know they are under-developed. Development works have been started but it is not up to desired pace. Roads are not good,” he said.

The Balbal-Katkamsandi rutted road is the regular Jharkhandi nightmare. District officials have stopped or seldom visit interior areas where a visit is a kind of excursion into a living museum of the 18th century or thereabouts. Prosperity has taken a back seat for the cultivation of poppy, as Maoists have captured thousands of acres of land in the deep interiors of Lawalong and other parts, something that police and administration deny.

An awareness message to eradicate polio painted several monsoons ago in one of the villages in Itkhori, a forlorn foundation stone whose plaque was removed many years back, the poster of Vidya Balan of Dirty Picture-film pasted over a MNREGA wage-list; In these parts you can probably forgive them for thinking a starlet is more achievable than a daily wage!

“I have come to know that around 19 doctors have reported absent from their duty. Action will be taken against them. We need more doctors here. I have sought a detailed report of the requirements,” Munda said.

Block Development Officers of Kunda and Lawalong blocks have stopped visiting their block office out of Naxal fear; they now operate from safer area of Simariya. “That’s why I called Chatra a critical area. I am serious on these issues. I am not defending anybody,” Munda said.

Chatra consumes less energy because it has less power supply. The ambitious North Karnpura power project inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2004 in Chatra was short-circuited by the Centre before it could produce even a unit.

“Centre first acquired lands and evicted people for the project and now says that power project is not feasible because the site have coal deposits. Either the Central Government starts the project or I will lead people’s demonstration in Delhi,” Munda said during inauguration of power grid at Itkhori.

Forget about any centre of excellence for education in Chatra — though Munda promised a model college soon — schools are in a dilapidated condition. “It is surprising that despite sanctions to  construct an extra 577 school rooms, the work has not been started. I am annoyed,” Munda told The Pioneer.

Before leaving for Giridih via road, Munda visited Bhadrakali temple. “I will visit Chatra again to see whether development work and welfare projects have been started or not,” he said.

That probably will be the third myth of Chatra!.

Hatia bypoll: Too tough a fight for Sahays!

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

He dares dust and stinging heat, grabs hands of few youth’ and does some whispering in ears that came close to him, fondles a couple of school going kids and asks if they know who he is and jumps back to announce. “All of them know me personally…even children; this is happening everywhere, so you judge how I am doing,” he cocks back his sweaty head.

Call it confidence, call it complacency, Congress party candidate Sunil Sahay has convinced himself that he is set to grab Hatia. He is loath to his experience in active politics and looks the other way when his opponents  even within the Congress  dismiss him just as younger brother of Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay.

Muted protest of giving preference to family rather than dedicated party workers has become louder. On Wednesday, veteran Congress leader Pratibha Pandey accused senior Sahay as responsible for the rout of the Congress. “Sahay had started the process of the ruin of the Congress which will be finished in Hatia,” Pandey said on Wednesday and announced to join the BJP. She is peeved at the denial of ticket. The Congress has a long list of such whiners who are secretly wishing and plotting for defeat to boom on the face of the Sahays.

“My opponents have been running short of ideas and arsenal against me. They have accepted defeat in advance,” he chucks such impressions in the bin and moves ahead to other locations to grab more hands. This is a huge leap of faith that he has acquired during his tedious tour of Hatia constituency. His elder brother has already deployed his trusted men, might, manner and mesmerism for him and Bhabhi (Sister in law) Rekha Sahay too came out of the kitchen to catch vote. He knows, though, at the bottom of his conviction of victory that he argued ahead of time, that it will take very little to un-work all his talk of work.

This is Hatia Assembly constituency after all where caste, candidate, combination and party organisation are intrinsically woven. There are candidates like Ramji Lal Sarda (BJP), Naveen Jaiswal (AJSU), Ajay Nath Sahdeo (JVM) and few others who have made the fight multi-cornered. Sarda is probably fighting the last election of his life and the BJP has deployed its organisational base, up to booth level, to snatch Hatia back from the Congress and to compensate what Sarda lost marginally in the last election at the hand of Congress’ late Gopal Sharan Nath Shahdeo of the Ratu royal family. “Here it is BJP not Sarda who is fighting. In the Congress this is a Minister who is fighting the election. Things are going to be miserable for the Sahays,” Hemant Keshri, a BJP worker said. Even if the contest become bipolar, between the Congress and BJP finally, Sahay has two powerful contenders, Ajay and Naveen who are targeting the Congress’ core Muslim votes.

“Muslims en masse are not going to vote for the Congress. There are many Muslim candidates in the fray other than the move of JVM and AJSU. We need to be very cautious,” says Ashraf Ali, a Congress worker at Itki Bazaar.

Itki appeared divided over its electoral choice. The contest is mainly among BJP, AJSU and JVM while the Congress is trying to jostle for its share.

Don’t forget Virendra Bhagat here in Itki area just because he is contesting as an independent. Having potential hold over Sarna votes in Itki, which has a sizeable chunk of around 20,000, Bhagat has been wooing Christian votes too with independent MLA Bandhu Tirkey now extending him over support.

Sahay’s adversaries have surrounded him from all sides, from rural to urban areas, from campaign to criticism. “It is time to teach the Congress lessons for loot and corruption…time to teach the Congress for neglecting Hatia,” as though his opponents have ganged-up against him. “We are getting publicity free of cost. That means we are in the fray,” chortled one Congress worker but he admits that the Opposition has thrown unexpected challenges. And junior brother is counting too much on his elder to handle the Opposition’s mounted assault.

The large part of Ratu which remained loyal to the Congress because of its loyalty towards the royal family may witness loyalty shift. “People voted to Gopal sahib not to the Congress. This time, the BJP will gain here,” said Mahaveer Gupta, owner of a cloth shop. If proof is required BJP flags fluttering atop houses indicate so. Ajay, kin of the royal family is trying to claim the legacy of Shahdeo. Sahay knows that election result will have far reaching impact   a truth he will not accept publicly.