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Giridih candidates give Maoist stronghold of Jhumra a miss

BOKARO: Jhumra hills, a Maoist stronghold, is being avoided by candidates in the fray from Giridih parliamentary constituency. People living in around half-a-dozen villages in the area are unhappy that no candidate has paid them a visit during the campaigning season.


Residents of Jhumra, Jamnijara, Baltharwa, Suarkatwa, Aman, Shimdabeda and other hamlets under Pachmo panchayat have also not seen the outgoing MP, BJP’s Ravindra Kumar Pandey , during his tenure.



Giridih, which goes to the polls on May 12, is witnessing a contest between state water resources minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary, an Ajsu-P candidate backed by BJP, and JMM’s Dumri MLA Jagarnath Mahto , who has been supported by mahagathbandhan parties.

Jhumra is now at the centre of the state and Union government’s efforts against LWEs. Some development has also reached these hamlets, which have a little under 600 voters. However, candidates are still gving these hamlets a miss.

“We were demanding a road here for a long time, which has finally been constructed. However, no candidates came here to campaign. No political rallies were held here either,” Mohan Mahto, a resident, said. The state government constructed a 10-km-long road from the foothills at Pandanataad to Jhumra hilltop recently.

Used by rebels for its topography, Jhumra became a hotbed of LWE in Jharkhand. Although violence has reduced, Pandey has kept himself away from Jhumra. “The MP did not visit our village. Lack of drinking water and roads in Baltharwa and Suarkatwa are some issues which are still being ignored,” Dasrat Manjhi said.

“In earlier elections, people here had voted for BJP, but this time it is difficult to say whom they will vote as Pandey has never visited the place,” said a resident.

Ajsu-P contestant Chaudhary said: “We are campaigning and will surely visit Jhumra in a couple of days.” JMM’s Mahto said, “We remain in touch with villagers in Jhumra through phones. I am going there to meet them soon.”

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