Cops seek IAF146;s help for Koderma bypoll today

The state police is leaving nothing to chance for the Koderma bypoll tomorrow, which is expected to have a major impact on the state8217;s politics.

The state police is leaving nothing to chance for the Koderma bypoll tomorrow, which is expected to have a major impact on the state8217;s politics. Expected to be a keenly contested affair and with the Naxalites giving a boycott call, the cops are making last minute efforts to deploy additional forces to prevent any untoward incident.

Apart from declaring 700 of the total 1,400 booths sensitive and utilising 27 companies of paramilitary forces, the district administration has, for the first time ever, requisitioned two IAF helicopters to keep a vigil on poll day. The administration is expecting over 50 per cent of the total 13 lakh odd voters to exercise their franchise.

The outcome of the bypoll 8212; essentially a triangular fight between Congress8217;s Manoj Yadav, BJP8217;s Pranav Verma and Independent Babulal Marandi 8212; is bound to have an impact on both the ruling UPA, led by chief minister Madhu Koda, and the opposition BJP led by his predecessor Arjun Munda.

Speaking today about the crucial test tomorrow, Munda said: 8220;Every political action has an equal and opposite reaction.8221; Even Koda, on whom the beleaguered Congress leadership appears to have relied heavily to wrest Koderma from the BJP, is candid: 8220;It is going to be a referendum on the political developments in this state during the past one and half month.8221;

For Marandi, who quit the BJP and its Koderma Lok Sabha seat to pave the way for the bypoll, it is a do-or-die situation. If he wins, the BJP may have a tough time preventing a split within the state unit. Already, two party MLAs 8212; Ravinder Rai and Bishnu Bhaiya 8212; are actively campaigned for him. But if Marandi loses, he faces political oblivion.

A day before the polls, the three are pinning their hopes on a big turnout. According to Abdul Rasheed, a political analyst, 8220;These candidates have both money and muscle power. The infighting within the Congress, RJD and the BJP gives Marandi an edge. But the possibility of polarization of Muslim and Yadav votes in favour of the Congress candidate can ensure defeat for Verma and Marandi.8221;

The fourth contender is CPI-ML8217;s Raj Kumar, who undertook a door-to-door campaign, telling voters that he will usher in an era of all-round development if wins.