Ghatsila bypoll: Jharkhand CM, wife Kalpana hold roadshows in support of JMM candidate

Jamshedpur, Nov 9 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his MLA wife Kalpana on Sunday participated in separate roadshows in support of JMM candidate for the Ghatsila assembly bypoll.

The CM, accompanied by JMM candidate Somesh Soren, started his roadshow from Surda and went to Ghatsila town with people lining up on both sides of the roads to greet him.

JMM star campaigner Kalpana Soren held her roadshow from Jadugora to Musabani. She appealed to the people to vote for the JMM candidate.

For all-round development, security, peace and prosperity, Kalpana urged the voters to strengthen the "Abua Sarkar" (own government) headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

BJP-led NDA candidate for the bypoll Babulal Soren and his father, ex-chief minister Champai Soren, attacked the Jharkhand government for being "anti-adivasi/moolvasis".

What did he (Hemant Soren) do for adivasis during his six years in power?, he asked, elaborating that the government has resorted to lathicharge on adivasis, implicated them in false cases.

Adivasi land was being grabbed by Bangladeshi infiltrators in Santhal Paragans and Kolhan region, their population decreasing and demography changing fast, but the government remained a mute spectator, he alleged.

The well-being of tribals was possible only if the BJP-led NDA government was installed in the state, he claimed.

Addressing a public meeting in favour of party candidate, JLKM President and Dumri MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato said there was no dearth of employment opportunities in Jharkhand, but youths were still unemployed.

Posts were vacant, but no initiative was undertaken by the government to fill them up, he claimed.

Despite the presence of industries on a large-scale, youth were migrating to other states in search of livelihood, while outsiders were coming to the state, he alleged.

The campaigning for the Ghatsila bypoll ended on Sunday at 5 pm. The polling will be held on November 11.

The Ghatsila bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting JMM MLA Ramdas Soren.

Thirteen candidates are in the fray for the bypoll. The JMM has fielded Ramdas Soren's son Somesh Soren, while the BJP nominee is Babulal Soren, and the JKLF has put up Babulal Murmu. PTI BS RG