Nothing Is Working Right For Laloo

 

Politics in South Bihar, especially the Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Khunti(ST) constituencies, is all about strange and strained bedfellows. The voters and party workers, thanks to Lalooism, are a flummoxed lot still trying to figure out their allies and their foes.

Elsewhere in South Bihar, top Jharkhand leaders-who were allegedly involved in MPs bribery scam-have a tough battle on their hands. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won the three seats during the last Lok Sabha elections, has been enjoying every bit of the political `nautanki that has been taking place over the past few weeks. Take the confusion in Ranchi as an example.

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is supporting the Congress candidate, Keshav Mahato, aka Kamlesh, for the Ranchi seat. Laloo even prevailed upon Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Soren) vice-president, Suraj Mandal, to withdraw its candidate, Bahadur Singh, in favour of the Congress to take on BJPs nominee, also the sitting MP from Ranchi, Ramtahal Chaudhary, in a battle of the Mahatos.

In return, Laloo had told JMM(S) leader Suraj Mandal that he would ensure a Congress quid pro quo by getting the nomination of its candidate, Sushila Kerketta, from Khunti withdrawn in favour of JMM(S) candidate Ram Dayal Munda. But the Congress did not oblige and fielded Kerketta. An enraged Laloo has asked his supporters to ensure Kerkettas defeat.

JMM(S) leader Suraj Mandal has asked his supporters not to back Congress sponsored candidates in any of the 14 South Bihar constituencies. Mandal even went on record saying that it was a mistake to withdraw Bahadur Singhs candidature.

Ranchi is now poised for a close contest between BJP and Congress. Another Mahato nominee of the newly-formed Jagannath Mishra-led Bihar Jan Congress(BJC), Rishikesh Mahato, has emerged as the third force in the battle for the Mahato vote bank. He is being supported by the United Front.

But nothing seem to be right for Laloo, Jharkhandis or the Congress in the adjacent Hazaribagh constituency. Here Laloo has entered into an alliance with both the Jharkhand factions JMM(S) and JMM(Mardi), each of whom have put up a candidate.

But in a sudden turn of events, JMM(S) leader Suraj Mandal, citing Laloos assurance on Khunti seat, got the RJD supremo to declare his partys support for JMM(S) candidate, Pratibha Devi, therby dumping JMM(M) nominee Teklal Mahato.

What has added another twist to the entire affair is the fact that local RJD district unit, divided into Arjun Yadav and Ashok Yadav factions, have got together to defy Laloos diktat and are actively canvassing for JMM(M) candidate Teklal Mahato.

The upbeat BJP camp in Hazaribagh too has not been fully spared of factionalism. While the nomination of the state president and BJP spokesman, Yashwant Sinha, has added lot of colour and brightened the chances of a victory, yet there is resentment among the supporters in the camp of Mahabir Lal Vishwakarma, the sitting BJP MP and an RSS loyalist, who was denied a ticket this time.

Top Jharkhand leaders Shibu Soren, Suraj Mandal and Simon Marandi who are contesting from Dumka(ST), Godda and Rajmahal(ST) reserved constituency respectively. In 1996, JMM (Soren) chief, Sibu Soren, scraped through from Dumka by a margin of around 4000 votes. Congress candidate Thomas Hansda trounced JMM spokesman Simon Marandi from Rajmahal, while in Godda, JMM(S) vice-president, Suraj Mandal, could manage the third spot behind BJPs Jagdambi Prasad Yadav and Janata Dals Abu Talib Ansari.

The current hustings will once again be an uphill task for the three who are braving loss of credibility, factionalism and voters grievances. The morale of JMM(S) cadre has been low ever since a massive turnout of tribals at a BJP rally addressed by Atal Behari Vajpayee on February 6. This is being interpreted as the Vananchal movement gaining momentum in the tribal heartland.

Janata Dal candidate, David Murmu, political observers feel, will also eat into Sorens vote bank.