The BJP rolling out its big guns on the home turf of Raghubar Das, himself a “star campaigner”, has sparked speculation whether the ruling party is nervous about the chief minister’s poll battle against cabinet colleague-turned challenger, Saryu Roy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will address rallies for Das.
BJP national president Amit Shah is also likely to visit the steel city to drum up support for party candidates, including Devendra Singh from Jamshedpur West and Das.
BJP East Singhbhum district president Dinesh Sahu and another key functionary, Rambabu Tiwary, said Shah is expected in Jamshedpur in the first week of December.
Modi is scheduled to address a rally at Gopal Maidan — under Jamshedpur West but in the heart of the city — on December 3.
Hindutva storm trooper Adityanath will address two meetings on November 5, including in Govindpur — close to Das’s seat.
“Is this all because of the fear of getting defeated by the Independent candidate Saryu Roy?” asked Golmuri resident Sukhvinder Singh, articulating a poser reverberating in the steel city air.
Singh, who works with a transport company and is a BJP supporter, added: “Big leaders like Modi and Yogi should concentrate on areas where the party’s winning prospect is very low, like in the Assembly segments under Singhbhum parliamentary constituency where the party has no legislators in the eight Assembly seats.
“BJP state president Laxman Giluwa is also contesting from Chakradharpur constituency (part of Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency) and pitted against JMM strongman Sukhram Oraon. I am at a loss to figure out why big leaders are coming to Jamshedpur where the party has five legislators and an MP,” he said.
When the question was relayed to BJP district president Sahu, he said: “Prime Minister Modi had been to Chaibasa (part of Singhbhum parliamentary seat) during the Lok Sabha campaign. Modiji’srally at Gopal Maidan will have its impact on the entire Kolhan region. Star campaigner Yogi Adityanath will address two meetings, in Chaibasa and Seraikela. Das will also address meetings at Assembly seats under Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency.”
Insiders in Das’s camp, however, said Modi will turn the tide in favour of the CM.
On record, the BJP put its confident foot forward. “When (campaigning for) the first phase of the polls gets over, chief minister Das will start campaigning for his home constituency from Friday and we are in a very strong position in Jamshedpur,” said Tiwary.
Roy, meanwhile, is generating a lot of buzz.
“Whenever Roy passes through a locality to reach a slum for campaigning, men and women alike come out of their houses to have a glimpse of him,” said shopkeeper Sudhir Srivastava, a resident of Baridih Basti. “It is amazing.”
