Senior BJP leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Suvendu Adhikari, Mithun Chakraborty, and Mohan Charan Majhi, will campaign in Ghatsila; Amit Shah may join on November 9.
The bypoll, caused by the death of Ramdas Soren, will see JMM’s Somesh Chandra Soren face BJP’s Babulal Soren; a BJP district leader has been expelled for "anti-party" activities.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have intensified their campaigns for the Ghatsila bypoll scheduled for November 11, with both parties deploying senior leaders to court voters.
Sudhir Kumar, an aide to former chief minister and BJP MLA Champai Soren, told PTI that several top leaders of BJP will hold a series of rallies and roadshows in the coming days.
According to Kumar, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will campaign on November 5, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on November 6, actor Mithun Chakraborty on November 7, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on November 8.
He added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah might visit on November 9, the final day of campaigning. Kumar also noted that there are chances of other Union ministers visiting Ghatsila in the next few days.
Former chief ministers Babulal Marandi and Champai Soren have also been actively campaigning in the constituency.
Meanwhile, the JMM has announced a series of rallies to be led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife, Gandey MLA Kalpana Soren, from November 3 to 8. The campaign programme includes public meetings, roadshows, and street-corner interactions across East Singhbhum and nearby areas.
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of former cabinet minister Ramdas Soren on August 15. JMM’s Somesh Chandra Soren, son of the late leader, will contest against BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of Champai Soren.
In a related development, BJP Jharkhand general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Verma expelled East Singhbhum BJP Minority Front president Mohammed Ezaz Rasool for "anti-party" activities and campaigning against the party candidate.
