Balmuchu stakes claim over Ghatshila seat in coming Jharkhand polls

JAMSHEDPUR: The inter-party brawl within the Jharkhand Congress, which started just after the Lok Sabha polls has divided the party in several camps.
Local party heavyweight and tribal leader Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu said he would contest coming assembly polls from Ghatshila seat.
Former state Congress chief Balmuchu talking to TOI on Wednesday said: “People of this reserved constituency have voted in my favour three times, so I will contest this time too.”
Replying to a query, former Rajya Sabha member said: “If Congress ties up with JMM and other like-minded parties and the Ghatshila seat does not fall in Congress kitty, then I will contest as an independent candidate from that seat.”
It may be mentioned here that Balmuchu had last won the Ghatshila seat in 2005 assembly polls.In the 2009 polls, Balmuchu lost the seat to JMM’s Ramdas Soren by a margin of around 1000 votes. In the 2014 polls Balmuchu fielded his daughter Cindrella from that seat. Cindrella, a doctor and Harvard alumnus finished third from that seat which was clinched by BJP’s Laxman Tuddu. The second position was bagged by JMM’s Ramdas Soren.
Notably, in 2014 polls there was no political understanding between Congress and JMM.
With Congress and JMM coming together under the banner of Mahagathbandhan in state before the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and hoping to continue this friendship till assembly polls, the future of Balmuchu is very uncertain in case JMM stakes claim over the Ghatshila seat.
Meanwhile, the differences between Balmuchu and present state Congress chief Ajoy Kumar is an open secret. Both the leaders do not miss a single opportunity to spew venom against each other. Balmuchu on several occasions has alleged that Ajoy is fully responsible for the dismal performance of Congress in Lok Sabha polls. Ajoy had single-handedly taken decision over ticket distribution and seat sharing which had resulted in such poor performance.
He also echoed similar sentiments as shared by veteran Congressman Subodh Kant Sahay in the recent past that Ajoy is an outsider, so he should quit from the party chief’s post.
Meanwhile, East Singhbhum district Congress chief Vijay Khan, backing Ajoy has lashed out at Balmuchu and his team. Khan said Balmuchu was trying to break the party for his own benefits. On the other hand Balmuchu is adamant that if the party wants to bounce back in the assembly polls, Ajoy has to put in his papers. In the past this tribal leader had met several Congress heavyweights in Delhi to put rubberstamp on his demand.
It may be mentioned here that with assembly polls due at the end of this year and warring factions not ready to patch-up, prospects of the Grand Old Party seems to be in the dark, feel political pundits.