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Mahua Manjhi files papers for Ranchi seat on JMM ticket

RANCHI: Mahua Manjhi, a former chairperson of the state commission for women, on Tuesday filed her nomination papers to contest as a JMM candidate from the Ranchi assembly seat. She will take on outgoing legislator C P Singh, who is seeking a sixth consecutive term this time on a BJP ticket . Singh is the urban development and transport minister in the outgoing state cabinet headed by chief minister Raghubar Das .




Manjhi (54), filed her nomination in a single set at the district collectorate building around 1.30 pm and was accompanied by Congress spokesperson Shamsher Alam and JMM principal general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya. She reached the collectorate in a procession with JMM functionaries from Shibu Soren's government bungalow in Morhabadi after seeking the latter's blessings.

Speaking to reporters after filing her papers, Manjhi said she was confident of victory as the people of Ranchi were looking for solutions to the perennial problems which are ailing the city such as poor road infrastructure, poor drainage and hygiene, failing law and order situation and water scarcity.

Manjhi forayed into politics five years ago and was fielded by JMM in Ranchi against Singh, but lost as Singh secured 95,760 votes. Manjhi finished second with 36,897 votes. Singh, who won by 58,863 votes, is likely to file his nomination on November 21. The nomination window for the seat closes on November 25.

"BJP has held the Ranchi assembly seat for the last 40 years and the sitting MLA has won five consecutive terms, but he failed to provide the basic amenities to the city. It is a state capital, but stands nowhere in comparison to other cities like Raipur. Forget smart city, the state capital looks like a town," Manjhi said. Interestingly, Varsha Gari, JMM's Ranchi mayoral candidate in the 2018 Ranchi Muncipal Corporation (RMC) elections, joined the Ajsu Party in presence of Sudesh Mahto at the party's headquarters in Harmu a little after Manjhi filed her papers. Gari, who lost to BJP's mayoral candidate Asha Lakra, is likely to be fielded by Ajsu-P as its Ranchi candidate.

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