DUMKA: On the final day of campaigning for the twin bypolls on Tuesday, BJP leader and Dhanwar MLA Babulal Marandi held roadshows in the urban pockets of Dumka constituency on Tuesday as a last-minute effort to give an edge to party candidate Lois Marandi against JMM and Mahagathbandhan nominee Basant Soren.
The fight for Dumka, which is considered as a traditional stronghold of JMM, will be a prestigious one for both BJP and JMM. For the saffron party, a win in Dumka will put it back in prominence and earn a name for Babulal, who is leading the party in the assembly after rejoining it recently. In 2019, Lois, who was then a minister, lost to incumbent chief minister Hemant Soren by a huge margin.
The onus is now on Babulal and other party stalwarts to wrest the seat back from JMM.
Addressing his supporters, he said, "None of the family members of the JMM candidate, including his father and party chief Shibu Soren, brother and chief minister Hemant Soren will be casting their votes in the bypoll as they are not registered here. So why should the local electorates vote for him?"
Babulal, who won the Dumka parliamentary seat twice in the past before becoming Jharkhand's first chief minister in 2000, led the 5-km roadshow accompanied by Lois and scores of party workers in the Rasikpur locality here.
Talking to TOI, senior BJP functionary Pintu Agrawal said, "The roadshow was a grand success given the huge turnout. We are now hopeful of a grand victory in Dumka this time."
He added, "The ruling alliance may not have acknowledged Babulal ji as the leader of opposition in the assembly, but the Mahagathbandhan knows that he still has enormous clout among the tribal voters in Dumka and often targets him during their campaigns."
Bimlesh Tudu, a college student who took part in the rally, claimed, "No doubt JMM chief Shibu Soren is still recognised as the most influential tribal leader in Santhal Pargana and elsewhere in the state but the fact that Babulal ji walked the extra mile in the interest of tribals and other indigenous people of the state is still dear to many. He had stepped down from the chief minister in early 2000s showing his commitment to the tribals."
Babulal also held another roadshow at Dalahi in Masaliya in the afternoon.