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Urban body elections in Jharkhand: Women dominate nomination race in East Singhbhum, Seraikela
According to the district election officer (DEO), 17 nomination forms have been sold for the MMC mayor’s post, 297 forms for 36 wards, 13 forms for the chairperson’s post of JNP and 98 forms for 22 wards, and four nomination forms for the chairperson’s post and 36 forms for 12 wards in Chakulia Nagar Panchayat (CNP) till Saturday. The last date for filing nominations is February 4.
Female candidates, especially wives and relatives of political leaders, have emerged as aspirants in large numbers in the municipal elections in East Singhbhum and neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district, with the mayor’s post reserved for women in Mango Municipal Corporation (MMC), Jugsalai Nagar Parishad (JNP) and Chakulia Nagar Panchayat (CNP), people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Take the instance of MMC: former state minister Banna Gupta’s wife, Sudha Gupta, has purchased the nomination form to contest for the mayor’s post as a Congress-supported candidate, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executive committee member Neeraj Singh’s wife Babita Singh, former party district president Rajkumar Srivastava’s wife Kumkum Srivastava, Congress national spokesperson Saista Parveen alias Zeba Khan (wife of Congress leader Feroze Khan), and senior leader Maulana Ansari Khan’s wife Momina Khan are also in the fray. Chinta Sharma, Jyoti Singh, Chanchal Sharma and Indira Sundi have also purchased nomination papers in MMC. One of the strongest contenders, Sandhya Neeraj Singh, has not purchased a nomination form so far.
In Jugsalai, former Congress block president Jyoti Mishra’s wife, Aarti Choudhary, and Abhijit Singh’s mother, Indrani Singh, are among the strongest contenders for the post of chairperson. Jaspreet Kaur, Naushin Khan, Ruksana Tabassum, Nutan Singh and Suraiya Parveen have purchased nomination papers in JNP.
The scenario is no different in Adityapur, where Kharsawan MLA Dashrath Gagrai’s brother Vijay Gagrai, who joined the BJP on Friday, is among the strong contenders, along with rebel BJP leader Basko Besra, two-time councillor Prabhashini Kalundia, Sunita Liyangi, who also recently joined the BJP, and BJP state executive member Sanjay Sardar, among others. Outgoing AMC mayor Vinod Srivastava’s wife Rita Srivastava is eyeing the post of deputy mayor and will contest from Ward No. 29, while his daughter-in-law Amrita Srivastava will contest from Ward No. 28. Former Ichagarh MLA Arvind Singh alias Malkhan Singh’s nephew Ankur Singh has bought a nomination form for Ward No. 18.
In Seraikela Nagar Panchayat, Vineeta Hansdah, Luski Soren, Sakla Mardi and JMM’s Bhuglu Soren alias Dabba Soren have purchased nomination papers for the chairperson’s post.
In Kapali Nagar Parishad (KNP), outgoing chairperson Shobharani Mahato has bought a nomination paper, while JMM’s Sarwar Alam, Congress’s Parvez Alam and Ghulam Gaus have made it a strong contest for the top post, which is unreserved here.
Even in the Adityapur Municipal Corporation (AMC), where the mayor’s post is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, wives and relatives are vying with each other for the deputy mayor or vice-chairperson posts, apart from ward councillor seats.
Interestingly, two-time councillor Prabhashini Kalundia became the first mayoral candidate to file a nomination from AMC on Friday from Ward No. 38. Former councillor Neetu Sharma also filed a nomination from AMC Ward No. 17 on Saturday.
Of the total wards, 17 out of 36 in Mango Municipal Corporation (MMC), 11 out of 22 in Jugsalai Nagar Parishad (JNP) and six out of 12 in Chakulia Nagar Panchayat (CNP) have been reserved for women. The mayor and chairperson posts in MMC, JNP and CNP have also been reserved for women. In contrast, the mayor posts in Adityapur Municipal Corporation (AMC), Seraikela Nagar Panchayat (SNP) and Kapali Nagar Parishad (KNP) have been reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
In JNP, the posts of mayor and deputy mayor are unreserved, while in CNP, the mayor’s post has been reserved for ST and the deputy mayor’s post remains unreserved. Further, 16 out of 35 wards in AMC and five out of 11 wards in Seraikela Nagar Panchayat (SNP) have been reserved for women. In Kapali Nagar Parishad (KNP), nine out of 21 wards have been reserved for women, while the chairperson’s post remains unreserved. In all, elections will be held in 137 wards across MMC, JNP, CNP, AMC, SNP and KNP in East Singhbhum and neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan districts on February 23.
According to the district election officer (DEO), 17 nomination forms have been sold for the MMC mayor’s post, 297 forms for 36 wards, 13 forms for the chairperson’s post of JNP and 98 forms for 22 wards, and four nomination forms for the chairperson’s post and 36 forms for 12 wards in Chakulia Nagar Panchayat (CNP) till Saturday. The last date for filing nominations is February 4.
