NDA to put up united fight in Jharkhand bypoll to wrest Ghatshila seat from ruling JMM: Marandi

Ranchi, Oct 7 (PTI) Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi on Tuesday said the NDA would put up a united fight in the bypoll to Ghatshila assembly constituency to wrest the seat from the ruling JMM-led alliance.

His comment comes a day after the Election Commission announced that the by-election to the seat would be held on November 11.

The bypoll to the Ghatshila seat was necessitated after Jharkhand education minister Ramdas Soren died at a private hospital in New Delhi on August 15.

JMM's Ramdas had won the seat for the third time in 2024 by defeating BJP's Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren.

Ramdas had won the seat for the first time in 2009. Though he lost the seat in 2014 to the BJP's Lakshman Tudu, he won it back in 2019.

"The NDA is poised for a victory in the Ghatsila by-election. People in the constituency have been disillusioned with the Hemant Soren-led government. Over the past six years, development in the state has come to a standstill," Marandi claimed.

He also alleged that the current administration, now in its second term, was plagued by "corruption, misgovernance, and lawlessness".

He was addressing a meeting of the NDA constituents at the BJP office here.

Marandi alleged that the state has witnessed "rampant exploitation of natural resources like sand, stone, and land, while the public continues to suffer from inadequate infrastructure, poor healthcare, erratic electricity supply, and a crumbling education system" during the JMM-led regime.

“Government institutions are now dysfunctional. Law and order are deteriorating, even in the state capital,” he claimed.

Marandi said unemployment remains a serious concern, with few job announcements and widespread allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process.

“The people are ready to teach the government a lesson in this by-election,” Marandi asserted.

Sudesh Kumar Mahto, AJSU Party president and former deputy chief minister, emphasised the unity and determination of the NDA alliance.

“We will contest the Ghatsila by-election with full strength and a collective spirit. The primary issue before the voters is the total failure of the state government on all fronts,” he said.

He appealed to the people to support the NDA in order to “save Jharkhand from a corrupt and incompetent regime”.

Khiru Mahto, JDU state president and Rajya Sabha MP, expressed confidence that the decisions taken at the meeting will be effectively implemented on the ground.

“The NDA is fully prepared and committed. We are confident of securing a win in Ghatsila,” he said.

Senior leaders from the NDA constituents, including BJP state working president and MP Aditya Sahu, were present at the meeting.

The last date of filing nomination for the bypoll is October 21, and that of withdrawing candidature is October 24.

Votes will be counted on November 14.

The gazette notification for the bypoll will be issued on October 13.

The date for the Ghatshila bypoll coincides with the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections. The first phase will be conducted on November 6.

The constituency has 2.55 lakh electors, including 1.30 lakh women.

Altogether, 300 polling stations will be set up at 218 locations for the by-election, while web-casting will be done at all booths. PTI NAM BDC