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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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
