Marandi: Power tussle

Dumka, Aug. 31: A fresh fight for power has begun in Santhal Pargana even as the dust generated by the panchayat polls refuses to settle.

The heat is on the NDA camp and several of its leaders are trying hard to make their favourites enter the fray.

Following the decision of the government to set up the Regional Development Authority (RDA) in Santhal Pargana and create the post of deputy chairman, local leaders, especially those from the BJP and Janata Dal (United), have all been interested in extending their influence to the civic body.

Even former chief minister and state BJP heavyweight Babulal Marandi is keen to have a say in the matter.

But leading the race is Sunil Kumar Mishra, the media-in-charge of the BJP and a ?member? of the pro-Arjun Munda lobby.

Also in the fray are former Deoghar BJP president Jayprakash Singh, janata Dal(U) MLA from Deoghar Kameshwar Nath Das, BJP legislators Raj Paliwar (Madhupur) and Sunil Soren (Jama) and some local leaders.

Singh, a close associate of Marandi, can spoil the party for Mishra as some ?prominent? leaders are known to have approached Munda to lobby for the former Deoghar BJP chief.

Das, too, has tried to win over the chief minister. ?He (Das) spoke to senior leaders of the JD(U) in Delhi, requesting them not to pay heed to the anti-Munda stance of some party leaders,? a source said.

The other two ?serious? contenders, Paliwar and Sunil Soren, have been trying to highlight their feat in the Assembly elections ? making the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) suffer in its traditional stronghold.

While Paliwar defeated Hazi Hussain Ansari of the JMM, Durga Soren, the elder son of Shibu Soren, lost to Sunil Soren in the Assembly polls. The prize for such ?exemplary? achievement should be the chair of the deputy chairman, both Paliwar and Sunil Soren have claimed.

All eyes, however, are on the ?fight? between the Munda and Marandi factions.

?If Munda wants to cut the size of Marandi in Santhal Pargana, he has to select a candidate from his own lobby. But this will further affect their relations,? said an observer.