Godda, May 12: The BJP has lined up its heavyweights to canvass for party candidate Amit Mandal for the May 16 bypoll to Godda, the party bastion promising a triangular battle that, many pundits believe, will reflect the public opinion on the performance of the present government and may go on to alter the current political equation in Jharkhand.
While state unit president Ravindra Rai, ministers Neera Yadav and Raj Paliwar and a host of other senior leaders took part in a road show in the heart of Godda last evening, chief minister Raghubar Das today campaigned for Amit in two backward blocks, Maheshpur and Basant Rai, repeating his commitment to steer the state towards prosperity.
A London educated IT professional, Amit is banking on "good work" done by his father former Godda MLA late Raghunandan Mandal, promising to follow in his footsteps for integrated growth of the area.
The BJP candidate, apparently aware of the socio-economical condition of the constituency where majority comprises farmers, has even gone on record to voice his protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to facilitate power supplies to Bangladesh by allowing Adani Group to set up a power plant in Godda. Denying rivals an opportunity to gain mileage over the proposed power project and related land acquisition issue, Amit said that people should never be forced to part with their land.
"I am not opposed to growth and industries. But, they should be set up with consent of local people. People will gradually realise what they really need for their growth," he told The Telegraph.
In 2014 Assembly election, 60 per cent of the 2.5 lakh voters had cast their franchise in Godda. Raghunandan had bagged 87,601 votes to win the seat.
"This time, we (BJP) are set to get at least 1 lakh votes. Wherever I go, people tell me about what my father had done for them.... This is a bypoll and people know that MLA of any other party may not be able to do much for them since the BJP is in power in the state as well as in the Centre," he added, exuding confidence of his victory.
JMM nominee Sanjeev Marik Yadav, a former director-general of Odisha police, is trying to rake up all possible issues to "expose the BJP government and its anti-people policies".
"What will Godda gain from the power plant proposed by Adanis? Only pollution and health hazards because all power will be exported to Bangladesh. People who won the Godda Assembly seat during the past 30 years did nothing for the area. They all were interested only in safeguarding their personal interests," he alleged.
Sanjeev, who claimed to have developed an intimate relation with the people of Godda through his "generosity", said that he was confident of getting at least 25,000 votes on his own for all the good work he had done for the needy in the area. Another 25,000 voters, part of the traditional JMM support base, and a sizeable chunk of minority electorate would support him, he added.
"The Muslim voters, in particular, will be voting for a candidate, who has the potential to defeat the BJP. All are not happy with Sanjay Prasad Yadav (RJD candidate), else he wouldn't have lost the election in 2014," the JMM man added.
RJD's Sanjay, who won the seat in 2000 and 2009, is concentrating more on consolidating his traditional support base in remote areas.
Sources said that unlike the other two (Amit and Sanjeev), Sanjay was well aware of the issues troubling the people at the grassroots level and could effortlessly strike a chord with the poor.
"He goes for campaigning to far-flung villages to seek votes. Even his poll managers are usually not aware of his whereabouts," said a local villager.
"Talking to people is more important than being photographed by the mass media. Lalu ji is coming to campaign for me on May 13 and 14, which will further boost our prospect," Sanjay said over telephone.
State RJD president Gautam Sagar Rana has been actively campaigning for the party candidate for the last three days while state unit vice-president Annapurna Devi hit the campaign trail today, seeking support for Sanjay.
Godda votes on May 16
