VIJAY
Ranchi, March 2: The Ajsu Party-BJP combine pressed a power break upon the winning spree of the Hemant Soren-led ruling combine after the Ajsu Party candidate registered a massive victory in the Ramgarh assembly by-election.
Sunita Choudhary of Ajsu, who is the wife of MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary, pushed back Bajrangi Mahto of the Congress by securing 50.67 per cent of votes (1,15,669). The Congress was supported by the JMM, RJD and other secular forces and ended with 41.05 per cent of votes (93,699 ).
Notably, Mamata Devi of Congress won this seat in the 2019 assembly election. The seat fell vacant after she was convicted in two criminal cases. The Congress fielded her husband Bajrangi Mahto.
However, the NDA opposition gaining a seat in the assembly is not going to affect the JMM-Congress-RJD government because Hemant Soren enjoys more than the required majority.
But it has come as a loss for Congress as its strength has decreased. It will also bring some psychological pressures on the government in general and Chief Minister Hemant Soren in particular.
The result has come at a time when the Hemant Soren government is facing serious corruption charges and the Enforcement Directorate is investigating many serious cases of corruption. There is a sense of anger among youths as the state government failed to fulfil its promise to create job opportunities and fill vacant posts in government departments. The government has been caught on a sticky wicket on the issue of employment and local residence policy where it fixed 1932 as the cut-off date.
“The result is departure order to Hemant Soren. People have shown their anger against massive corruption, state of lawlessness and anarchy prevailing in Jharkhand. Hemant Soren must count his days. His government is going to collapse under its own weight of sins,” said former Chief Minister and leader of the BJP legislative fold Babulal Marandi.
Earlier to this four assembly elections were held in Jharkhand after Hemant Soren formed the government, and the UPA combine won all the seats. The UPA always showcased these victories as an endorsement of the performances and policies of the Hemant Soren government.
But after the result of the fifth assembly by-poll, leaders are now maintaining a frustrating freeze over their tongue. Disgruntled within the Congress blamed the leadership of the party.
“We are not surprised over the result. The state president of the party is highly inefficient. He has neither vision for the party nor any strategy to make the party win. He is just another liability upon the party and we are paying the price of his incompetence,” said a party leader.
