BJP improves performance in Jharkhand region

RANCHI, FEB. 28. Having bagged the maximum number of Assembly seats in Jharkhand areas, the BJP has considerably improved its performance this time by winning 32 of the 66 seats it contested in the region.

Of the remaining 15 Jharkhand seats that the BJP had left for its allies, the Samata Party and JD(U) bagged six and two respectively.

The JMM(S) has bagged 12 seats in the region, the congress 11 and RJD eight.

In the last Assembly elections, the BJP had bagged only 21 seats.

Important seats won by the party included Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, Khunti, Torpa, Gumla, Vishunpur, Sisai, Lohardagga, Chakradharpur, Kharswan, Jagannathpur, Saraikela, Ichagarh, Jamshedpur-East, Jamshedpur- West, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Sindri, Giridih, Potka, Bahraogoda, Manika, Chatra, Barkagaon, Rajdhanwar, Jarmundi, Maheshpur, Paraiyahat, Mahgawan and Rajmahal.

The Samata party nominees won the Tamar, Panki, Bhavnathpur, Jharia, Dumri and Baghmara seats of the region.

The JD(U) candidates Mr. Inder Singh Namdhari and Mr. Baijnath Ram got away with the Daltonganj and Latehar seats respectively.

In some Jharkhand seats, including Khunti and Torpa, BJP candidates sprung surprise victories over formidable opponents.

While Mr. Neelkanth Singh Munda of the BJP defeated the Congress veteran Sushila Kerketta from Khunti, the BJP candidate from Torpa, Mr. Koche Munda, defeated the Jharkhand party veteran Mr. N. E. Horo.

While the Congress(I) had been winning the Khunti seat for the last three consecutive Assembly elections, Jharkhand Party had lost the Torpa seat only twice since 1952. Mr. Horo had held the Torpa seat since 1969.

Political observers here feel that BJP's improved poll performance in Jharkhand areas can be attributed chiefly to the concrete legislative steps initiated by the party in the 12th Lok Sabha for the creation of a separate Vananchal State out of Bihar.

They said the tabling of Vananchal Bill by the previous BJP-led government in Parliament's winter session amid loud protests from the RJD and its allies in the then Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM), went a long way in buttressing the BJP's credibility vis-a-vis the statehood issue.

Even in the 13th Lok Sabha though the Bill could not be reintroduced as promised by senior BJP leaders, the Vajpayee Cabinet approved the Bill and referred it to the President for further action, the observers said.

Topping it all, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee,at his campaign meetings in the region, prior to the Assembly polls this year, assured the people in no uncertain terms that Vananchal would soon become a reality.

All this enabled the BJP to have better performance in most Jharkhand seats, the observers said.

Unlike its rivals, including the Congress, JMM(S) which promised to work for speedy creation of a separate Jharkhand State if voted to power in Bihar, the BJP chose to downplay the issue arguing there was no point in making a commitment which was already in the process of being fulfilled.

Observers here feel this argument offered by senior BJP leaders including the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, prior to the Assembly polls lent extra credibility to the BJP's promise regarding Vananchal.

This led to the impression among people of the region that the saffron party did not believe in making just another election promise but meant business while talking about Vananchal. - PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Clinton visit: eight programmes shortlisted
Next     : BJP may part ways with HVC in Himachal