Marandi sure of his chances in Ramgarh bypoll

Nadra Begum is the widow of former CPI MLA Bheda Singh, whose death last year necessitated the bypoll. Naturally, the CPI is banking on a sympathy wave to retain the seat — something Ramgarh has seen earlier. “She will win and Marandi will be relegated to the third position,” said CPI leader A.B. Bardhan in his press conferance here on Thursday.

Conscious of her background, Marandi is planning to highlight the issue of development in his campaign, on which rest his chance to retain chief ministership of the state.

Indeed, development could be the key to Ramgarh, where a majority of the 1.89 lakh population are coal miners from the Backward castes of Kurmi-Mahatos and Koiris.

In 1972, CPI’s Manjur Hassan Khan had wrested the seat from the Congress’s Bodulal Agrawal. After Khan’s death in 1973, his wife Shahdun Nisha had won it on the CPI ticket, only to lose it to Janata Party’s Vishwanath Choudhary in 1977. Three years later, Choudhary was defeated by Arjun Ram who himself lost it to the Congress, which fielded Yamuna Prasad Sharma in 1985. Ram, however, wrested it back 1990 and lost it five years later to the BJP’s Shanker Choudhary. In 2000, however, it was Bheda Singh who won Ramgarh, relegating Ram to second place by 12,000 votes and Choudhary to a distant third place.

Against this see-saw backdrop, the BJP’s move to field Marandi from Ramgarh took many people by surprise, especially since Marandi had made public his willingness to contest from any one of the five constituencies in Santhal Parganas which are represented by his party’s MLAs. Even Dumka, which he has reprsented in the Lok Sabha till date, falls in Santhal Parganas.

One factor in Marandi’s favour, however, is that none of his party’s allies — the Samata or the JD(U) — have fielded candidates. Though the UGDP — which has two members in the Cabinet — had fielded Chandra Prakash but he withdrew his nomination and both UGDP ministers have publicly supported Marandi.

Taking to The Indian Express, Congress candidate Sharma claimed that he was an old hand in the party and would not have any problem in regaining theseat. “I will win hands down,” a confident Sharma said. But he’s not the only one sure of his chances. JMM President Shibu Soren is pretty sure his candidate will win. “For years he has worked with the farmers and miners who are bound to ensure his success,” Soren maintained.

On the other hand, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the CPI(ML) and the CPI(M) — which have not fielded their candidates — are likely to support Begum. Marandi, however, isn’t worried. “There is no contest. It would have been a challenge had they all put up a joint candidate against me.” But since that hasn’t happened, the Chief Minister is rather sure of winning the seat and keeping his post.