SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 20: All looks not well for senior leaders of the coalition government in the three-tier Panchayat polls in Dhanbad.
After the defeat of the Congress district working president in the Mukhiya election, now Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) block president had to bite the dust on the District Board member seat.
A lesser-known villager named Meena Hembrom defeated JMM Tundi block president Fulchandra Kisku by over a thousand votes on the District Board seat from the Tundi block.
Earlier, Congress district working president Shankar Prajapati had to face a humiliating defeat at the hands of a social activist in Kadaiya Panchayat Mukhia polls in the Tundi block by over 900 votes.
The defeat of Fulchandra Kisku keeps significant as the Tundi assembly constituency is considered a traditional stronghold party for JMM. Mathura Prasad Mahto of JMM is a sitting MLA of the Tundi assembly constituency for the past several times. Though Tundi is considered a Naxal-influenced region, people of the area always rallied behind JMM right from Jharkhand movement leader Binod Bihari Mahto.
However, JMM district president Ramesh Tudu took the defeat of the block president lightly. He said four leaders from the party had contested the seat which confused the supporters.
“Moreover the winning candidate Meena Hembrom is also a JMM member,” he said. In the election, sitting BJP leader and outgoing District Board member Raymuni Devi also lost.
