Jharkhand BJP President Aditya Sahu sounded the alarm on Saturday, charging the state administration with engineering an unfair advantage in the February 23 municipal corporation elections. At a packed press meet in Ranchi, he implored the State Election Commission to vigilantly curb power abuses and ensure transparent voting.
Three years of legal wrangling and BJP-led street agitations have paved the way for polls in 48 civic bodies. Yet, Sahu questioned the government’s commitment, suggesting the announcement stemmed from compulsion rather than conviction. Persistent red flags include ballot voting susceptible to fraud and state force dominance without central oversight.
The party had advocated EVM usage and CRPF induction mirroring national polls, demands brushed aside. Written alerts on hypersensitive booths in multiple zones have yielded little response, heightening risks of booth capturing or intimidation.
From door-to-door campaigns, Sahu reported a groundswell of anti-incumbency rage province-wide. Non-partisan in name, these contests bear political imprints, with voters poised to penalize ruling party proxies at the hustings.
Urging maximum turnout sans trepidation, he exhorted police to honor their uniform’s prestige. These local battles, fraught with tension, hold clues to Jharkhand’s evolving political landscape, potentially jolting the status quo.