The contest for Bermo and Dumka by elections will see three parties-- BJP, Congress and JMM-- bringing local leadership each to garner support for their respective candidates.
Unlike last year’s Assembly election, where all three parties BJP, Congress and JMM used the power of star campaigner mostly central leadership and even chief ministers of different states making whirlwind tours addressing rallies, these bypolls will miss all such hullabaloo.
Sources said that no Central leaders from BJP and Congress will campaign for the November 3, bypoll, which the JMM has termed it as battle of prestige, while Opposition BJP has termed it 'a referendum of State government'.
Sources said earlier, the state Congress leadership has lined up Chhattisgarh chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel, Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot among others. However, later the Congress leadership decided to use the skills of local leadership in campaigning.
From Congress, State Congress president and Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon is leading the campaign trail. Apart from Oraon, Agriculture Minister Badal, Health Minister Banna Gupta and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam are star campaigners.
As the Congress is contesting from Bermo seat, which fell vacant due to untimely death of Rajendra Prasad Singh, who had represented the seat for six times, the Congress is banking on sympathy votes and work carried out by Singh for more than three decades. The Congress from this seat has given ticket to late Singh's son Jaimangal Singh.
Not only Congress, the BJP also is missing star power campaigners. The BJP star campaigners including, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda and others are busy in Bihar elections, the party is banking on former chief ministers Raghubar Das, Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi. These three leaders are campaigning in Bermo and Dumka seats.
From JMM, like previous year chief minister Hemant Soren has taken the campaign torch.
The JMM which is contesting Dumka by election has fielded Basant Soren the younger brother of Hemant Soren from the seat. As younger Basant is contesting the election, entire Soren family is working day and night for victory of Basant.
