Campaigning hots up for Jharkhand Assembly bypolls

Campaigning gained momentum on Monday for the two Jharkhand Assembly seats -- Gomia and Silli -- where bypolls are scheduled on May 28.

BJP Chief Minister Raghubar Das is campaigning for the Gomia assembly seat, which is currently held by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). A united opposition has been rallying for JMM candidates on both seats.

Das has been campaigning for the last four days for BJP candidate Madavlal Singh in Gomia.

Attacking the Congress, Das said: "Congress party which has ruled the country for more than 60 years has now been reduced to a regional party's status.

"In Karnataka Congress is carrying the Janata Dal-Secular on its shoulders while in Jharkhand it was doing the same with the JMM."

JMM President Shibu Soren, former Chief Minister and executive president of the party Hemant Soren, and former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay are also busy canvassing in the bye-elections.

Soren said: "The Raghubar Das government has failed on all fronts. It is involved in plundering the state. Time has come to teach the Bharatiya Janata Party a lesson."

In Gomia, the ruling National Democratic Alliance partners -- the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) -- are fighting separately.

BJP has fielded former Minister Madavlal Singh and AJSU has fielded Lambodar Mahto, who was a state government employee.

The JMM has fielded Babita Devi, wife of Yogendra Mahto, who was disqualified as a legislator after being convicted and awarded a two-year jail term in a case.

In Silli, there is a direct fight between JMM candidate Seema Mahto and AJSU president Sudesh Mahto. Seema Mahto is the wife of Amit Mahto, who lost his assembly seat after being convicted and awarded a jail term.

--IANS

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