Members of the Ranjit Tibrewal group distribute brochures at Upper Bazar in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

The business fraternity is proving that where Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FJCCI) polls are concerned, they mean business.

Campaigning for the September 2 election for office-bearers of this prestigious outfit with 2,387 members is at an all-time high, making it the top-of-the-list conversation starter among the capital’s well-heeled.

Two factions are competing head-on for votes. One is led by industrialist Ranjit Tibrewal and the other by duo Kishore Mantri and Vinay Sarawgi, both belonging to well-known business families.

The election will be held at Marwari Bhavan on Harmu bypass road. The 21 posts include that of a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, two joint secretaries, one treasurer and 14 executive members. Each district association of commerce and industry enjoys two votes.

Team Tibrewal’s Sharad Poddar said they were fighting the election on certain key planks. “First off, we oppose foreign direct investment in the retail sector which we think will hit hard the existing value chain. If our group wins, we will put pressure on the government to reduce VAT on motor parts from the existing 10 to 4-5 per cent,” Poddar told The Telegraph.

The Kishore Mantri and Vinay Sarawgi group at a meeting at Aqua World on Thursday. Telegraph picture

He added their group, led by Tibrewal who runs a refractory unit in Tupudana Industrial Area, is eyeing at least 15 seats out of total 21. The faction is buoyed by the “overwhelming response” to their campaign including a padyatra on Kutchery Road, Old HB Road, Lalpur, Circular Road and adjoining areas.

Team Kishore-Vinay is equally strong, say insiders. The faction is a mix of veteran and fresh blood who are holding their cards close to their chest. But, they may also end up with surprising results.

The FJCCI, which continues to be almost an all-boys’ club, hardly fields women. This time, Team Tibrewal has a lone woman contestant, chartered accountant Anjali Jain. Team Kishore-Vinay has gone one up and is fielding two women contestants — noted eye specialist Dr Bharti Kashyap and travel entrepreneur Soni Mehta.

Stars in Tibrewal’s faction include Amarchand Begani, Anil Agrawal, Kamal Jain, Suresh Chandra Agrawal and Prem Kataruka. In the Kishore-Vinay faction, besides the two ladies, Madhav Lakhotia and R.D. Singh are some of the other names to reckon with.

Both factions are hosting meetings at posh city hostels, while SMSes and emails are also doing the rounds. Voters, either industrialists or businessmen, are invited daily to some venue to discuss poll strategies followed by dinner.

Issues range from protection against FDI in retail, Food Safety Act provisions, road jams in Lalpur, among others. Former FJCCI presidents, including Om Prakash Agrawal, Girish Malhotra, Mahesh Poddar, Arjun Jalan, Manoj Naredi and Sanjay Seth, also attend meetings.

Which faction will win and why? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com