Gumla: Bishunpur, Gumla, and Sisai ST assembly seats in the district are set to witness interesting electoral fights with Congress and BJP rebels jumping into the fray. Additionally, Jairam Mahto’s party, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morch (JLKM), has fielded women candidates from Gumla and Bishunpur seats.
In Bishunpur, JPCC general secretary Shivkumar Bhagat has entered the electoral fight as an independent, while former police officer Jaganath Oraon is also contesting from this Sarna tribe-dominated constituency. Bishunpur has gone to JMM under the seat-sharing formula of the INDIA bloc, whose nominee and sitting MLA Chamra Linda had contested the Lok Sabha poll as an independent against INDIA bloc nominee Sukhdeo Bhagat in the recently concluded parliamentary elections. Shivkumar stated, "We had demanded Bishunpur seat as it was once Kartik Oraon ji's seat. We have given three terms to Chamra, who has done nothing but cheat the innocent tribal people. A Bhumiputra (self) who has been in contact with people since 2004 should be given the chance. Again, it's the wish of my supporters that I should fight the election." One of his supporters, Anil Kumar Bhagat, added, "Not only tribes, but people of all communities are with us." BJP has fielded its former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP ST Morcha national president Sameer Oraon, who lost the MP election to Congress's Sukhdeo Bhagat.
The Sisai ST seat will also see a challenge for the INDIA bloc candidate and sitting Sisai MLA Jigga Susaran Horo, as JPCC secretary Roshan Barwa has filed his nomination as an independent. President of Gumla DCC Chaitu Oraon said, "This is happening because party rank and file are not being heard." BJP is bound to face a tough obstacle within its own fold in Gumla, as Mishir Kujur, a BJP youth leader who had fought the last assembly poll from Gumla as a BJP candidate, has become a rebel after being denied a party ticket.