The Congress office in Raidih, forgotten by the party’s senior leaders in Ranchi, soldiers on with the help of a few dedicated local leaders in Gumla near the border with Chhattisgarh. Picture by Shantanu Datta

Gumla, Nov. 21: Gumla Assembly constituency, reserved for ST candidates, is in an unusual position. Part of the Lohardaga Lok Sabha seat that gave the Centre a BJP MP in Sudarshan Bhagat, Gumla has a sitting MLA too, but the constituency with 47 per cent Christian voters can give the lotus some anxious moments.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Bhagat won from Lohardaga, the parliamentary seat with five Assembly constituencies Gumla, Simdega, Bishunpur, Sisai and again, Lohardaga. But, it was specifically in Gumla where the seemingly invincible NaMo wave had fluttered weakly, as Bhagat trailed behind Congress MP nominee Rameshwar Oraon by a decisive 10,778 votes.

Six months later, as Gumla gears up for Assembly polls on November 25, among the 14 candidates in the fray, the Congress may again give a scare to top contenders BJP and JMM.

The BJP, learning from the Lok Sabha vote break-up, denied ticket to its sitting MLA Kamlesh Oraon. Public perception suggested Kamlesh didn’t do much for the area in five years. The BJP is fielding fresh face Shiv Shankar Oraon and hoping that the NaMo wave and a split among minority votes would do the trick.

Bhushan Tirkey of JMM, a former MLA, and Binod Kispotta of Congress, a clean candidate who had once been Gumla’s deputy commissioner, are each hoping for the biggest chunk of minority votes.

But, bypassing the Congress challenge, district unit BJP spokesman Chittaranjan Mishra said: “Our main fight is with the JMM.”

BJP district unit vice-president Dineshwar Prasad said the split in “mission vote bank” (read Christian voters) would work in their favour. “Gumla’s 47 per cent Christian votes will be divided among Kispotta, Tirkey, Sushila Minz of the TMC and Independents, even if they don’t vote for us,” he pointed out.

Chhotan Baraik, JMM candidate Bhushan Tirkey’s private secretary, said their fight was with the BJP. But, he claimed the battle was smooth for his boss. “Bhushan Tirkey is a son of the soil, who has stood by people here through thick and thin. Minority communities will vote for one candidate who can defeat the BJP,” he said, dismissing the vote-split theory.

Maoist rebels recently torched campaign vehicles of both BJP and JMM candidates and warned campaigners of dire consequences. These incidents may generate some sympathy for the BJP and JMM candidates.

Undeterred by these perceptions, Congress workers are hoping to spring a surprise. In Raidih block, a traditional rebel hotbed in Gumla, Congress workers were seen sorting out voter slips and discussing action plans. Even though senior party leaders have not campaigned here, the party morale is up.

“It is a red terror zone. But, we walk up to fields and request farmers to vote for us and get positive response. Gumla hasn’t had a Congress MLA for the past 25 years. But, nothing good has taken place here since then,” said Abdul Sattar, a Congress worker.

He added: “Didn’t we give a befitting reply to the BJP from Gumla in Lok Sabha polls?”

Congress worker Md Qurban added their nominee Kispotta had a chance. “He is an educated man and well acquainted with the area’s grassroots problems,” he added.

But, Congress Raidih block election in-charge Philip Kujur had the last word. “We live along Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh borders. I don’t support the BJP, but, if Chhattisgarh has prospered, it means that its chief minister Raman Singh (of the BJP) is a good leader with a positive vision,” he said, implying what Jharkhand lacks.