Ramgarh bypoll dress rehearsals for 2024: Independents

RAMGARH: The byelection to the Ramgarh assembly seat, which on Monday saw primarily a direct contest between the candidates of Congress and Ajsu-Party, came as a dress rehearsal for the 2024 state assembly elections for the 12 state government job aspirants who entered the poll fray as independent candidates.
Imam Sofi, Shahdeo Kumar, Kamdeo Kumar, Mahipal Mahto and others, miffed and frustrated at the successive government's reluctance to conduct recruitments on time and in transparent manner, said they have vowed to contest in multiple seats across the state in the assembly elections next year to make their voices heard.
Sofi (45), a native of Kasmar block in adjoining Bokaro, said: "After the high court struck down the recruitment policy in December 2022 and chief minister Hemant Soren failed to deliver on his promise of drafting a new one within a month, we were looking for ways to make ourselves heard. Mamata Devi's disqualification gave us the perfect window of opportunity."
"Win or no win, our efforts have achieved success as the literate people and the youth have taken note of the hapless state of affairs when it comes to employment in the state. They have pledged us support in the next elections, and our friends and seniors, who are in the state services, have offered to help us financially to run our campaign next time," Sofi, who runs a coaching centre in Kasmar to make ends meet, claimed.
Ghulam Hussein, another disgruntled JPSC aspirant who is managing Sofi's poll campaigning, said: "Our movement will be apolitical. We will keep it going unless the government drafts a transparent and effective recruitment policy and implements a residents' policy which considers all residents having Khatiyan from not just 1932 but all other land surveys which have been held in the state so far."
Hussein claimed their initial idea was to field more than 60 candidates in the elections.
"Somehow, things did not materialise as many joined various political outfits," he claimed.
Sofi, Kamdeo and Mahipal hopped around the polling booths on Monday in borrowed cars.
"Our friends and their relatives, who run petrol pumps, generously helped us with the fuel," Kamdeo, a resident of Gola block, said.