JVM(P) members release balloons to prevent aircraft from landing in Ranchi. (Below) Activists delay the Steel Express at Tatanagar. Pictures by Manik Bose & Srinivas

Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Oct. 10: JVM(P) members released several balloons in the air near Birsa Minda Airport this morning to disrupt flight movement on a statewide bandh day called by the party.

Air traffic controller R. Raghvendra Kumar said that air services remained unaffected despite the stunt.

But in Jamshedpur, JVM supporters reached the Tatanagar station in large numbers in the morning, squatted on the tracks and delayed Howrah-bound Steel Express for 20 minutes. Then, they headed towards Karandih and delayed Tata-Badampahad Passenger for 40 minutes and the Durg-Danapur Link Express at Chandil for an hour.

Ranchi-bound Rajdhani Express and Mumbai-Howrah Mail remained stranded between Koderma and Gomoh stations for more than two hours and traffic on the Grand Chord section of Dhanbad railway division was affected for three hours.

The Ranchi-Bokaro railway route and the Chakradharpur railway division, too, were partially affected.

Vehicles in Ranchi and Jamshedpur stayed off the roads. Armed with party flags, JVM activists stopped minibuses and autorickshaws on the Bistupur-Station route and forced passengers to walk to their destinations.

Party supporters also blocked the busy Chowka-Ranchi road on NH-33 for hours before they were arrested and taken to Chowka police station.

The economy took a severe hit as shops, schools, petrol pumps and private banks remained closed. In Jamshedpur, barring just a few inside the market, not a single shop was opened at Bistupur. In the state capital, even the betel shop owners had pulled down shutters. Shops in Chowka and Chandil remained shut as did trade houses in Ghatshila, Musabani, Chakulia and Bahragora in East Singhbhum.

In Dumka, markets and other establishments were closed though the impact of the bandh was partial at Deoghar, Pakur and Jamtara.

There were no major incidents of violence, however.

Timely interventions by party chief Babulal Marandi averted clashes at different places in Ranchi. Vehicles carrying JMM rallyists to Ranchi were reportedly stopped at certain places, but Babulal intervened and told his workers that his party would not disturb democratic campaigns of other parties.

“The bandh was self-sponsored. Whole-hearted support by people proves that they are frustrated with both the UPA and NDA,” Babulal said.

In Jamshedpur, JVM central secretary Abhay Singh had a heated argument with the police near Sakchi turnaround in the morning.

“No untoward incident related to bandh has been reported,” said East Singhbhum superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh.