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Constituency/ Rajmahal

Will Marandi make it again?

Sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MP Som Marandi, who won the last election with the narrowest ever margin of nine votes, is struggling to retain the Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat in a straight contest with former regional Congress committee president Thomas Hansda.

Jharkand Mukti Morcha is a force to reckon with in this mountainous terrain. Both the BJP and Congress apprehend that it will cut into their vote banks.

The parliamentary constituency, known for the hills of Rajmahal and its natural resources, will decide the fate of seven candidates on October 28. Election here was postponed due to heavy flooding.

Rajmahal comprises six assembly segments -- Borio, Barhet, Littipara, Pakur. Maheshpur and Rajmahal.

Borio, Barhet, Lttipara and Maheshpur segments are reserved for scheduled tribes. These are represented by Lovin Hembram (independent), Hemlal Murmu (JMM), Sushila Hansda (JMM) and Jyotin Soren (CPI-M) respectively.

The Rajmahal and Pakur segments are represented by BJP-expelled MLA Dhruv Bhagat and Beni Prasad Gupta (BJP).

The tribals, predominantly Santhals and Paharias, with a population of nearly 475,000, are, for their part, watching the low-key campaigning in the constituency in a ''guarded'' manner.

In Sahebganj town, the BJP appears to be dominating as the voters blame the backwardness of the region on the shifting of the local railway establishment to Maldah during the regime of Congress leader Ghani Khan Choudhary.

The railway is an emotive issue for the town which has a tinge of Bengali culture due to its proximity with West Bengal. Ananth Kumar, a local shopkeeper, said there was large-scale migration of the business class following the shifting.

The Congress leaders are complaining about the ''indifferent'' attitude of Marandi towards the development of the region. District president Bajrangi Prasad Yadav admitted that there was a Vajpayee wave after the National Democratic Alliance assumed power at the Centre. But the issue of development has now overtaken all issues, he claimed.

Political observers felt that the Christian tribals would vote for the Congress. The BJP also expects a share as the tribal voters are disenchanted following the involvement of JMM leaders in the infamous bribery case.

The demand for a separate Jharkhand state, an emotive issue in this part of the Bihar plateau, is being exploited by BJP leaders.

Constituency

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