M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 26: The fourth phase of the panchayat elections, voting for which is due on May 27, has a mix of extremism and politics. But it is turning out to be more of political warfare than a rural civic body election. It is going to be a cutthroat battle in this last phase here in Palamu.
Blocks including Pandu, Bishrampur, Ramgarh, Chainpur and Sadar Medininagar are to vote at a total of 796 booths on Friday.
Sources said Pandu, Bishrampur and Ramgarh have a history of extremism but now it is in a very subdued manner. Nevertheless, all the five blocks are politically sensitive. Voters and candidates both have strong political allegiance.
Chainpur block is a highly political sensitive block. The voters here do not shed their political masks but rather flaunt them very aggressively.
In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha election in the Chainpur segment, the then Congress candidate KN Tripathy had to face such a political hostility at one particular booth where he, as he had told then, had to take out his licensed revolver to save his life.
Soon there was a massive swing of votes in favour of the opposite candidate and Tripathy was badly routed in this election due to a heightened sense of local politics of caste and community.
SP Palamu Chandan Kumar Sinha speaking to lagatar24.com today said, “We are aware that this fourth phase of the panchayat elections in Palamu is going to be a war of political nerves. There is no booth in this fourth phase where politics does not run high.” He said where there is politics, there is manoeuvring.
“In the previous three phases, we had the issue of Naxalism at the centre stage while in this last phase it is political ambience all around that replaces the issue of dealing with the extremism with the maintenance of law and order,” the SP reaffirmed.
“Law and order is the prime concern in this fourth phase. We will try to have it with tact and firmness,” added the SP.
“Every phase of polling has given us a lesson to learn. People too have learnt the same way. And now the wisdom and experiences of the three phases so gone may be put to use in this fourth phase by the public as well.”
Sources said rigging of polls, intimidation of weaker sections of voters, booth dominance or booth capturing etc are feared most in the fourth phase.
Instances of 90 percent voting and a lion’s share of it in favour of one candidate have been a record here in Chainpur in the past.
The number of illicit arms, nobody vouches for it as well, has to be contained so as not to come in open in this fourth phase. Sources said illicit liquor will have a free flow in this election as some pockets of Chainpur are the hub of the manufacturing of illicit liquor.
Police will have to keep extra effort to check the movement of private cars on the day of voting which is May 27.
“Clash among the voters in the queue to vote on the polling day may not be ruled out,” said one police officer requesting anonymity.
A fleet of cars was seen in the street campaigning for a B.Tech pass girl candidate contesting for her second term of the Mukhiya election right on the fringe area of the town Daltonganj, which is a panchayat.
Sources said the panchayat elections in the bordering area of the town Daltonganj in fact allow many prospective candidates who have set their eyes on the coming municipal corporation election here.
The third phase of polling had a little over 71 percent of the voting. Now all eyes are on if this final phase will exceed this last percentage of voting.
