After HC verdict, Mamta confident of Ramgarh win

Ramgarh: Former Congress MLA Mamta Devi is back in contention from the Ramgarh seat in the assembly poll after the Jharkhand high court clamped a stay order on her conviction in the 2016 Gola firing case. She is also confident of winning the seat again.
With Devi eligible for contesting, the seat is bracing for a direct contest between two female candidates.In 2023, Ajsu-P’s Sunita Choudhary defeated Devi’s husband Bajrang Mahto to become the MLA in a by-poll which ensued after Devi’s disqualification in late 2022.
“Mamta’s candidature is near certain. We are awaiting an announcement by the party,” her aide told TOI .
Mamta led a march of locals from 160 villages against the operations of Inland Power Limited at Tonaghatu village in Gola bloc in 2016 .
A mob destroyed a pump house, disrupting power production due to water shortage. They attacked police, injuring five cops and a magistrate, prompting police to open fire, resulting in the death of two villagers.
Mamta challenged her conviction in the high court and was granted bail. Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi stayed the order passed by the lower court, enabling her to contest the assembly polls.
In the 2019 assembly election, Devi was elected to the assembly from Ramgarh as a Congress nominee. However, she was disqualified from her assembly membership after being convicted in a case and sentenced to five-year rigorous imprisonment by the Ramgarh session court in December 2022.
Devi said, “I was implicated in the case by the erstwhile Raghubar Das govt. Now, I am ready to resume my political journey.”
“Mamta emerged victorious in 2019 because Ajsu-P and BJP had both fielded candidates. This time, the votes will not be divided as we are contesting in an alliance,” Jaleshwar Mahto, central committee secretary of Ajsu-P, said.