Jharkhand: Candidates hold 'pocket meetings' after filing nominations for Ghatshila bypoll

Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Oct 18 (PTI) A day after filing nominations for the November 11 bypoll to Ghatshila assembly constituency in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, both candidates held 'pocket meetings' on Saturday.

The candidates' poll strategists said they would wait for the allotment of symbols before holding large public meetings.

"BJP candidate Babulal Soren and other senior leaders are holding pocket meetings in different places. Once the poll symbol is allotted, there will be full-scale election rallies," said Sudhir Kumar, who looks after social media handles of former chief minister and Babulal's father Champhai Soren.

Senior JMM leader Jagdish Bhagat said that a core-committee meeting of the party leaders of Ghatshila was held at a hotel on Friday night and was addressed by cabinet minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu and Gomia MLA Yogendra Prasad.

During the meeting, the need to reach out to all sections of society and inform the masses about the late Ramdas Soren's contributions and the state government's welfare policies was stressed.

JMM's candidate Somesh Chandra Soren, the son of the late Ramdas Soren, held small meetings at a college in Ghatshila and at Lakhiya panchayat in Mosaboni and Jamboni panchayat in Dhalbhumgarh.

"My only objective to enter into the political arena is to fulfill the unfinished dreams of my 'Baba' (father). You have witnessed the works done during his stint as an MLA and a minister (he was the education minister).

"I vow to transform this area into an educational hub and open the mines to generate employment and stop migration and also increase job opportunities by developing tourism facilities," Somesh could be seen impressing upon villagers conversing in Santali.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and minister Ramdas Soren.

Babulal Soren, who is contesting the election from Ghatshila for the second time (he lost to Ramdas Soren in the last election) met villagers at Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) township in Jaduguda, and Galudih and harped on "lack of development" during Hemant Soren's tenure and "increasing" corruption.

"While Babulal Soren is meeting villagers in rural pockets along with senior tribal leaders like Barkuwar Gagrai and Koche Munda, senior BJP leaders, including state acting president and Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu and MLA Navin Jaiswal, are holding meetings in urban areas," said Sudhir Kumar.

Ghatshila bypoll is scheduled on November 11, while counting will be held on November 14. PTI ANB ACD