Jharkhand leaders busy in Bihar poll campaign

Political leaders from all parties in Jharkhand, including Chief Minister Raghubar Das, are campaigning vigorously in the ongoing Bihar assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders are on top in the campaigning list. According to BJP sources, the party as well as the Jharkhand government are providing financial support and manpower to the Bihar polls.

The chief minister and ministers of the BJP-led government in Jharkhand have addressed rallies in Bihar. Besides, thousands of party workers and leaders are camping in Bihar for the last three months.

"Chief Minister Raghubar Das addressed 30 rallies, former chief minister Arjun Munda addressed more than 15 rallies in Bihar," Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha told IANS.

"As per the party's direction, many workers and leaders stayed in Bihar. They were assigned poll management duties," he said.

Sinha also stayed in Patna for more than two months.

Jharkhand Food and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Rai, Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi and some Lok Sabha MPs including MoS Finance and Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha also campaigned for the Bihar polls.

Jharkhand BJP in-charge and organisational secretary Rajendra Singh is contesting the Bihar assembly polls from the Dinara constituency. Many leaders including Arjun Munda campaigned for him.

Congress leaders from Jharkhand, including former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, also campaigned in Bihar.

The main opposition party of the state, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is also contesting seven seats in the Bihar assembly elections.

Former Jharkhand chief minister and senior JMM leader Hemant Soren also addressed more than 10 rallies in Bihar. In the 2010 Bihar assembly polls, the party had won one seat. JMM leaders hope that the party's position in Bihar will improve this time.

Another opposition party, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) has extended its support to the political alliance of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.

JVM-P president and former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi has predicted victory for RJD and JD-U alliance in Bihar.

(Nityanand Shukla can be contacted at nityanand.s@ians.in)