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Jharkhand municipal elections: Hussain flags poll rigging fears; RJD shifts support in mayor race
“I have lodged a complaint with East Singhbhum DC and DEO Karn Satyarthi that some influential elements have been threatening my supporters so that they do not work as my polling agents. They have been asked not to venture out of their houses on polling day. We fear attempts at unwanted pressure, interference in the name of crowd management, booth capturing, or false voting in sensitive booths on polling day,” Hussain told the media on Sunday.
Jugsalai Nagar Parishad (JNP) chairperson candidate Niloufar Hussain has sought central forces deployment for urban local body (ULB) elections on February 23, alleging risks of booth looting and rigging, people aware of the matter said on Sunday.
“I have lodged a complaint with East Singhbhum DC and DEO Karn Satyarthi that some influential elements have been threatening my supporters so that they do not work as my polling agents. They have been asked not to venture out of their houses on polling day. We fear attempts at unwanted pressure, interference in the name of crowd management, booth capturing, or false voting in sensitive booths on polling day,” Hussain told the media on Sunday.
She has demanded deployment of central paramilitary forces at sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths of JNP on polling day, February 23.
“I request ensuring active and continuous monitoring of polling by sector magistrates and flying squads. We demand legal prohibition and restrictions on any person attempting booth-hopping, rigging, or pressurising voters, along with security protocol for all women candidates,” Niloufar wrote in her complaint.
Though officially not being held on party lines, the Jharkhand municipal elections have once again witnessed shifting political loyalties, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Jamshedpur Mahanagar unit announcing support for Congress-backed Mango mayoral candidate Sudha Gupta just days after the party’s East Singhbhum district unit had extended support to suspended Congress ‘rebel’ leader Saista Parveen alias Zeba Khan for the post, people close to the developments said on Sunday.
RJD Jamshedpur Mahanagar unit president Ramesh Rai, state vice president Manju Shah, and district youth wing president Kamlesh Yadav announced the party’s support for Sudha Gupta, wife of former Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta.
“As per directions from the RJD state leadership, the party is extending full support and cooperation to the INDIA alliance candidate Sudha Gupta for the Mango mayor post. During Banna Gupta’s tenure, Jamshedpur got its first flyover and the newly built MGMMCH campus. The entire RJD team is with him and Sudha Gupta,” Rai said at a joint press conference with Sudha Gupta on Sunday.
He also handed over a formal letter of support to Sudha Gupta and Congress district president Parvinder Bhatia.
Interestingly, RJD East Singhbhum district president and other leaders had declared the party’s unconditional support for Saista Parveen alias Zeba Khan, the ‘rebel’ mayoral candidate whom the Congress suspended for six years for contesting against the party-supported candidate in Mango. Zeba was the Congress national spokesperson and state secretary.
Meanwhile, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president Rajkumar Srivastava has resigned from the party, ending his 45-year association with the saffron party.
“I have sent my resignation letter to party state president Aditya Sahu with a heavy heart. I have served the BJP for the past 45 years. In return, I received a show-cause notice on Saturday asking me to choose between the party and my wife. I decided to stand by my wife’s side, who is contesting for the Mango mayor post as a people’s candidate,” Srivastava told the media.
The BJP has issued stern show-cause notices to 18 leaders, including party executive member from Chaibasa Anup Sultania, for contesting against the party-supported candidate Ramesh Khirwal for the Chaibasa Nagar Parishad (CNP) chairperson post.
