SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 2: Upset results continued to tumble in Dhanbad Panchayat polls after all the four phases of the Jharkhand Panchayat elections ended.
After the defeat of the Congress district president in the first phase, now the outgoing District Board chairman, Robin Gorai, has been defeated in the Mukhiya election in the last and 4th phase whose counting concluded on Wednesday.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supported candidate Hiramuni Tudu defeated Gorai. As per the official record, Robin Gorai came in third place in the election. Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) supported candidate Samsuddin Ahmed got the second position.
Earlier, Congress district working president Shankar Prajapati had contested the Mukhiya election from his village in the Tundi block and had to taste defeat from a lesser-known woman villager.
This time, the post of District Board chairman in Dhanbad was reserved for women. Seat no.27 of the District Board, where Robin Gorai had won last time, was reserved for women in this election.
Robin Gorai fielded his wife Anita Gorai from his District Board seat and himself contested from Patharkua Panchayat Mukhiya post under Kaliayasol block of the district where his wife had won last time.
But both husband and wife had to face defeat in the elections. Rekha Mahto defeated Anita Gorai. Rekha Mahto’s husband Ashok Mahto also won the Mukhiya election from Lodaharia Panchayat.
The defeat of Robin and Anita is considered a major jolt to Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), especially, Baghmara MLA Dhulu who had played a sheet anchor role last election in making Robin Gorai the District Board chairman against a tough contest from Congress candidate Ashok Singh.
