Bidyut Baran Mahto has emerged as the biggest Kurmi leader in Kolhan by registering a record victory from Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat. He has received not only 2,15,479 more votes this time but has also managed to get lead in all the six Assembly seats under the constituency.
The former Bahragora MLA of the JMM, who was inducted into the BJP in 2014, has proved party’s decision right by bagging 6,79,632 in this election. His rival Champai Soren received 3,77,542 votes. The contest proved to be a cake walk for Bidyut as he won it by a difference of 3,02,090 votes. It is for the first time that a candidate has won from Jamshedpur seat with such a huge margin every since 1962.
“There used to be a time when JMM had control over Jamshedpur seat but our party has proved all the equations wrong and reestablished its hold on the seat. Bidyut has played a key role to garner support. He not only played a key role in opening of closed mines," said a BJP leader.
He also pointed out that with demise of Nirmal Mahto, Sudhir Mahto and Shailendra Mahto and Abha Mahto on virtual extinct in active politics only Bidyut can be seen as the only leader.
Before Bidyut, the last Mahto candidate elected to Parliament from here was Suman Mahato in 2007(by-election). Arjun Munda, who got elected to Parliament in the general elections in 2009 had to toil hard in the otherwise inaccessible domains to woo Mahato votes.
According to poll pundits between 1989 and 2007 Mahto voters had played a crucial role in electing MPs for six terms Shailendra Mahto, Abha Mahto, Sunil Mahto and Suman Mahto. BJP aptly decided to field Bidyut the then MLA from Bahragora in 2014.
The BJP had earlier successfully drawn Kurmi voters into its fold following the tainted yet influential Kurmi leader Shailendra Mahato joining the party in the mid-Nineties. Kurmis constitute over 2.5 lakh of the 16 lakh voters in the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat. Bidyut has been able to cast his magic spell on the voters
While, BJP batted more on the ‘Modi mania’ mainly to woo voters of Jamshedpur East and West—the two urban Assembly segments of the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency and kurmi population in rest four assembly areas, Mahato’s own efforts in bringing in international airport in Dhalbhumgarh, opening up half a dozen closed mines and starting the construction of Jugsalai railway over bridge, a 72-year-old demand of the people here did wonders for him.
