Palamu, Bihar of Jharkhand, Sets up Stiff Assembly Poll Battle
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Palamu Raises Local Issues Heat in Jharkhand Assembly Elections
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, November 3: Palamu in Jharkhand holds key pivot in the Assembly elections. The contest for the nine Assembly seats in the Palamu region is keen between the BJP-led NDA and the JMM-led INDIA. The nine Assembly seats in Palamu will vote in the first phase on November 13.
“Palamu is a division with a population of about 23,00,000 with three districts Palamu, Garhwa and Latehar. If we look at Palamu division, then it is also called the Bihar of Jharkhand in Jharkhand, because it used to be a part of South Bihar. And its borders are connected to Aurangabad, Tehri, Rohtas districts,” said Prafulla Singh, a senior political analyst, from Daltonganj in Jharkhand.
He said that the the per capita income in Palamu region is approximately ₹55,000 whereas the per capita income in Jharkhand is approximately ₹64,000. “Palamu is a district surrounded by forest vegetation, but at the same time, it is also one of the most backward districts of the country. Despite this, politically this district has always been a very sensitive district of Jharkhand,” added Singh.
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In 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections, the BJP had won five Assembly seats in the Palamu region. Two seats were won by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha while one was won by the Congress and on was won by an independent.
“If we talk about 2024, there is a very close contest on all the nine seats. The contest is fierce on every seat. And there is a triangular or quadrangular contest on every seat. The reason is that the rebel candidates of BJP are also in the electoral ring,” added Singh.
Another Jharkhand observer, Amit Kumar, said that “Bihar has a lot of influence in the politics of Palamu”. “The RJD also have an influence in Palamu. The culture of the people there and their living, their daily routine, everything has the fragrance of Bihar. But now the result will depend on the percentage of votes,” added Kumar.
Palamu has been a Naxal-affected area. But lately the Maoist violence has gone down. The Election Commission is also holding the Assembly elections in Jharkhand in just two phases against four or five in the past.
“Increasing the voting percentage here is also a big challenge for the administration. The voting boycott calls are regularly given by the Maoists. The final result will also depend a lot on voting percentage,” added Kumar.
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He stated that the BJP is battling the rebel factor in the Palamu region. “On Hussainabad Assembly seat, the sitting MLA was from NCP earlier and four days ahead of the poll date announcement, he was made BJP’s candidate. The BJP workers constantly warned that the ticket should be given to one of them,” added Kumar.
Kamlesh Singh, who is turncoat BJP nominee from Hussainabad Assembly seat, is facing challenge from Vinod Singh, who is a rebel from the ranks of the BJP. “The election there is also triangular with the RJD also in the ring,” added Kumar.
Palamu has not been a stronghold of any political party till date and the candidates win polls on the basis of their followings in the region. “Palamu has always chosen those who work for region. Palamu is a reserved constituency in the Lok Sabha. In Palamu division, one Assembly seat is reserved for SC and two seats are reserved for ST, the remaining six seats are general,” added Singh.
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He also stressed that “Rajput and Brahmin voters have greater influence in the outcome of the elections in the region”. “But in the last 10 years, the politics of the country has changed and a large section of OBCs has raised their stakes in the elections,” added Singh.
The political observers stressed that local issues are dominating the emotive agenda of the parties. “In Palamu, there are two or three very big agendas. The scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation. Migration of people due to unemployment is another key issue,” added Singh. He stated that the “no such industry in the entire Palamu region”.
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