Campaigning hots up for Jharkhand Assembly bypolls
Ranchi, May 21:Campaigning gained momentum on Monday for the two Jharkhand Assembly seats -- Gomia and Silli -- where bypolls are scheduled on May 28.
BJP Chief Minister Raghubar Das is campaigning for the Gomia assembly seat, which is currently held by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). A united opposition has been rallying for JMM candidates on both seats.
Das has been campaigning for the last four days for BJP candidate Madavlal Singh in Gomia.
Attacking the Congress, Das said: "Congress party which has ruled the country for more than 60 years has now been reduced to a regional party's status.
"In Karnataka Congress is carrying the Janata Dal-Secular on its shoulders while in Jharkhand it was doing the same with the JMM."
JMM President Shibu Soren, former Chief Minister and executive president of the party Hemant Soren, and former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay are also busy canvassing in the bye-elections.
Soren said: "The Raghubar Das government has failed on all fronts. It is involved in plundering the state. Time has come to teach the Bharatiya Janata Party a lesson."
In Gomia, the ruling National Democratic Alliance partners -- the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) -- are fighting separately.
BJP has fielded former Minister Madavlal Singh and AJSU has fielded Lambodar Mahto, who was a state government employee.
The JMM has fielded Babita Devi, wife of Yogendra Mahto, who was disqualified as a legislator after being convicted and awarded a two-year jail term in a case.
In Silli, there is a direct fight between JMM candidate Seema Mahto and AJSU president Sudesh Mahto. Seema Mahto is the wife of Amit Mahto, who lost his assembly seat after being convicted and awarded a jail term.
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Fan tries to die by suicide over Nikhil Kumaraswamy's bypoll loss
Bengaluru: Channapatna JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost the byelection to C.P. Yogeshwar of Congress, on Sunday consoled a fan who reportedly attempted to end his life and requested him not to repeat such acts.
Manjunath, fondly called Abhi, had even penned a letter before taking the dangerous step. Nikhil, who called on Manjunath at the latter’s home in Kudloor in Channapatna, expressed shock and sadness over the incident.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy reassured Manjunath, expressing his support during the difficult time. He told him that he was deeply troubled to learn of this incident and emphasised that he would stand by him. Nikhil also promised to offer assistance in any way he could, including helping him secure employment opportunities in the future, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
He also reminded Manjunath of the importance of his children’s well-being, urging him to focus on their future. “Please, look at the faces of your growing children. Even I have a three-year-old son. The children are young, let us take care of their future also. I will arrange some job opportunities for you. I might not be an MLA but this is a challenge. I will get you employed,” he said.
Nikhil told media persons that he is extremely hurt more by Manjunath’s attempt to die than by his loss in the election. “At 7:30 a.m., we got a message that in Valetoopu, Manjunath had consumed poison yesterday. In Channapatna, our workers and leaders have built this party with zeal. Let the admiration be there in your hearts but if it crosses the line, your families get hurt and we get very pained by it,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
Speaking of his byelection loss, Nikhil reiterated that the JD(S) had got its traditional votes, but that the votes of a particular community went against the party.
“Deve Gowda gave reservation to a community. We tried our last attempt to take that community into confidence. But they conveyed to us that they do not require us. In future, we will take other communities into confidence,” he remarked in a veiled reference to Muslims.
Nikhil lost the election by a margin of 25,413 votes to Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar.
