Campaigning for Kharsawan bypoll ends

Kharsawan (Jharkhand), Feb 8 (PTI) Jharkhand ChiefMinister Arjun Munda''s fate will be decided on February 10 asthe high-profile campaigning ended today with all his cabinetministers canvassing for him in the face of a stiff challengebeing given by Babulal Marandi''s JVM-P candidate DasrathGagrai for the Kharsawan bypoll.

With a substantial Kurmi-Mahto voters apparentlybecoming the deciding factor in the constituency, Deputy ChiefMinister Sudesh Mahto and other Mahto leaders canvassedyesterday and today, wooing the voters to cast in favour ofthe Munda government.

Also touring the constituency asking the Santhaltribals to vote for the CM, the second Deputy Chief Minister,Hemant Soren, claimed that there were some forces who had beentrying to �destabilise� the government by spreading �rumours�.

�Don�t fall in their trap. Some of them (politicalleaders) have been trying to destabilise the state for thelast ten years. Don�t fall in their trap. The government isworking in the interest of the public,� Soren said during hiselection meetings in Kharsawan.

Fighting a shadow battle against Marandi, Munda in hispoll meetings said the issue of Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT)was being �politicised� even after his repeated assurance thatthe act would not be changed.

�The people of Kharsawan will see me through,� Munda,who has to enter the assembly within the stipulated six monthsperiod from his oath-taking date of September 11, claimed.

Addressing a series of meetings for more than a weekin the Kharsawan constituency in support of his candidateDasrath Gagrai, JVM president and ex-CM Babulal Marandiaccused the Munda government of failing on all fronts andclaimed an anti-Munda wave was sweeping across theconstituency.

�The people are feeling a sense of insecurityfollowing a lawless state compounded with corruption andpoverty. The people of Kharsawan want a change as they did notget anything despite voting him (Munda) three times,� claimedMarandi.

Also backed by the Congress, Union Minister SubodhKant Sahay and PCC president Pradeep Kumar Balmachu hadcampaigned for the JVM-P candidate.

The results for the bypoll will be announced on the17th of this month in the midst of the 34th National Games.

PTI PVR NIKDESK