Ranchi, October 30 (IANS). There has been a special relationship between the electoral politics of Jharkhand and jail. While ‘Kali Kothri’ gave shine to the political career of many leaders, there are many such leaders who have also seen their demise in politics after their jail term. In this assembly election also, the ‘jail’ factor will prove to be important in the election game of many areas. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has given its slogan in this election – “Jail ka Jawab Jeet Se.”
Nearly four months have passed since party working president and CM Hemant Soren came out of jail on bail, but he and his party are leaving no stone unturned to keep the “jail chapter” alive in this election. Hemant Soren is saying in every election meeting that when he asked for Rs 1 lakh 36 thousand crore for Jharkhand’s rights from the Central Government, he was put in jail.
On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party is raising the jail visit of CM Hemant Soren, his government minister Alamgir Alam and many government officials as an issue of corruption.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is handling the election on behalf of BJP in the state, says, “Many people went to jail during the Jharkhand movement and India’s freedom struggle. Hemant Soren should tell why he went to jail? In the corruption case. Even if his jailed minister Alamgir Alam says that he has made a big sacrifice by going to jail, what would be a bigger lie than this?”
Koderma and Pakur are the two seats of Jharkhand where the jail factor is being discussed the most this time. Subhash Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal, who fielded as a joint candidate of India Block on Koderma seat, is in jail in a money laundering case related to the much-discussed sand scam of Bihar. With the permission of the court, he came to Koderma and filled the form in police custody. His supporters have started campaigning with flags and banners and posters carrying pictures of Subhash Yadav.
Similarly, for Pakur seat, Congress has fielded Nishat Alam, wife of former jailed Hemant Soren government minister Alamgir Alam, as its candidate. Nishat Alam had never been active in politics before. She is contesting in the name of her jailed husband. Notorious Naxalite commander Baijnath Singh, who is in jail, had made full preparations to contest from Manika seat of the state. He had also filed nomination papers, but due to technical reasons his form was rejected.
Similarly, gangster Aman Sahu, who is in jail in more than 150 criminal cases, also filed a petition from Jharkhand to Chhattisgarh High Court to file nomination in Jharkhand elections, but the court did not allow him. If we look at the electoral history of Jharkhand, the people have many times given election victory to the leaders who were jailed during mass movements. In the year 1977, the leader of Marxist Coordination Committee, Comrade AK. Rai was in jail for almost two years due to the movement against Emergency. Meanwhile, general elections were announced in the country.
AK. Rai contested the Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency elections from jail itself. The people of Dhanbad took him to the biggest panchayat of the country by making him a leader. Similarly, there were dozens of leaders like Shibu Soren, Vinod Bihari Mahato, Nirmal Mahato, who visited jail during mass movements and got a lot of public support while being in electoral politics.
There were communal riots in Hazaribagh in 1989. Bajrang Dal leader Yadunath Pandey was jailed by the government under the Goonda Act on charges of giving inflammatory speeches. After this, elections were held in the country this year.
Yadunath Pandey had come out of jail. BJP made him its candidate from Hazaribagh and he reached Parliament after winning with a huge vote. In 1990, Madhu Singh contested the elections for Bihar Assembly from Panki Assembly constituency while in jail and also emerged victorious.
Earlier, Congress leader Sanketeshwar Singh, who had contested as an independent candidate from Panki area, had to be arrested in a case during the elections and had to go to jail. He won this election while still in jail. In the general elections held in the country in 2009, people were shocked when Jharkhand Mukti Morcha made Naxalite commander Kameshwar Baitha, lodged in Sasaram jail, its candidate. When Baitha won this election while still in jail, it was discussed in the entire country. Around 60 cases were registered at Kameshwar Baitha at that time.
In the 2009 assembly elections, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha fielded Masih Charan Purti from Khunti and Paulus Surin from Torpa. Both were in jail on charges of Naxalite violence. Christ suffered defeat, while Paul the Syrian won victory while still in prison. In the by-election held on Tamar seat in 2009, JMM chief and then CM Shibu Soren had to face a crushing defeat at the hands of a candidate named Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter, who was in the public eye after being in and out of jail several times in various cases. Was active in life.
It is not that the black room has brightened the careers of many leaders. There are some leaders whose political career has been eclipsed after their jail visits. The names of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former ministers Enos Ekka and Harinarayan Rai are included among such leaders.
–IANS
SNC/ABM
