Regardless of several highs and lows witnessed during their previous tenures the sitting ward councilors of Ranchi Municipal Corporation are yet again in the election battle, expecting a hat-trick.
As many as 15 sitting councilors are contesting civic poll-2018 from different wards for the third time from the State’s biggest Urban Local Body (ULB).
With merely a few days left for the municipal election, sitting candidates’ are endeavouring hard to win the confidence of the loyal voters to retain their post.
Unaware about the mood of the electors, not just one or two sitting ward councillors are on cloud nine but most of them who are in the civic poll race with lists of promises are confident that they will be again enlisted in Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Board representing their ward. Altogether 462 candidates (old and new) from 52 wards will contest the civic poll for the post of ward councilor from Ranchi.
Meanwhile, when the Pioneer took a reality check of a few localities from where former contestants are gearing up to contest the municipal poll, the team received mix response of the electorates.
Basic civic issues like availability of water during summer season, construction of roads and completion of sewage drainage project, establishment of ward office, streamlining solid waste management system, where some electorates appeared satisfied with their respective ward councilors effort while on the other hand maximum voters said that they want a ‘change’ in a bid to transform the face of their wards craving for development since long.
Resident of ward 31, Sanjog Kumar Mishra from where Ashok Yadav is contesting election expecting a hat-trick, two of the ward residents here appeared extremely unhappy with the initiatives taken up in the recent years at their ward. Ward 31 covers one of the busiest localities ‘Metro Gali’.
Mishra and another resident, Neerja Singh said that Yadav has failed immensely in ensuring the basic facilities like availability of water, ensuring regular door to door garbage collection, regular fogging; hence they might give chance to other candidate this year.
Similar response was received from a resident of ward 48 from where Kumari Margaret is all set to defeat her opponents, expecting a huge victory with much greater margin.
A resident of ward 48, Kamta Prasad said, “We voted for her twice with an expectation but during her tenure no such initiatives were taken that can be termed worth commendable.
The basic civic services remain in a shambles at my ward.”
Presenting the report card of Arun Kumar Jha who is contesting election from ward 26 for the third consecutive time with much fanfare, a resident of Harmu Housing Colony, Shashi Bhushan Singh, said “I am not concerned about the fact that who will win the election from my ward.
As far as Jha’s work is concerned it was neither unsatisfactory nor satisfactory.
It can be termed average.” Ward 26 covers big localities like Harmu Housing Colony, New AG Colony, Vidya Nagar etc with an average population of 2 to 3 lakh public residing in different colonies.
Nevertheless, amid grumbles and discontentment, residents of ward 16 appeared completely contented with the work of Nazima Raza whose chance of winning the election seems to be much brighter than the other contestants of the ward after receiving the reactions of ward 16 residents.
Analyzing the work undertaken in the past few years by the sitting ward councilor, Raza, ward 16 residents --Mohammad Ismail including Nityananda Kacchap appeared more than happy describing about their favourite contestant ‘Nazima Bibi’.
“There can be no one like Nazima Raza, she is our voice.” Similarly, Kacchap said, “Whatever development you are seeing here be it installation of LED lights or well constructed road it is just because of Nazima Aappi.”