Ticket seekers step up efforts in Mayurbhanj

A few days after being elected to the Lok Sabha, Hansdah was arrested by CBI.

BARIPADA: With the General Elections drawing closer, ticket aspirants for Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat have stepped up campaigning through banners, posters, hoardings and social media platforms to remain politically relevant till the final list of candidates is  announced by different parties.

Campaign for BJD ticket is being led by former JMM leader Dr Debashish Marandi followed by Rajya Sabha member Sarojini Hembram and Baripada MLA Sananda Marandi as the incumbent MP Ramchandra Hansdah is indicted in the multi-core chit fund scam.In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Hansdah had bagged 3,93,779 votes and defeated his nearest BJP rival Napole Raghu Murmu, who secured 2,70,913 votes. Marandi, who contested as a JMM candidate, came a distant third with 1,72,984 votes. Shamsundar Hansdah of Congress got 1,30,000 votes.

A few days after being elected to the Lok Sabha, Hansdah was arrested by CBI. Sources said voters are displeased over BJD as Hansdah has not been able to utilise his MPLAD funds. Marandi quit JMM and joined BJD. Now, he was the chairman of Special Development Council for Scheduled Caste in the district.  

In BJP, senior IAS officer, who serves in the Prime Minister’s Office, Girish Chandra Murmu, is the front-runner in the ticket race. Besides, Tapan Hembram, Biseswar Tudu and Kandra Soren are the other aspirants for the party ticket.

Napole, who is the grandson of Ol-chiki script founder Pandit Raghunath Murmu, is leading the ticket race in Congress. He recently quit BJP and joined Congress in the hope of getting the MP ticket from the grand old party. As JMM and Congress have forged an alliance in the district, Anjana Soren, daughter of JMM chief Sibu Soren, is also eyeing for an MP ticket from Mayurbhanj. Other aspirants for Congress ticket are Susila Tiria and Shamsundar Hansdah. Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven Assembly segments.

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