by Ashis Sinha
Dhanbad: In a developing political saga, the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat finds itself embroiled in a tug-of-war as Saryu Rai, the incumbent MLA from Jamshedpur East, announces his decision to contest independently for the Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency. Rai’s move comes in response to Dhullu Mahato being named the BJP’s candidate for Dhanbad, sparking debates within and beyond the party.
As of now, the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are yet to announce their candidates for the upcoming polls.
In a social media post, Rai hinted at challenging Mahato directly, even tagging the Prime Minister in his statement. This decision follows a series of events, including a plea from Krishna Aggarwal, President of the Dhanbad Marwari Conference, to BJP State President Babulal Marandi and National General Secretary, urging a change in the candidate selection after Mahato’s nomination.
According to reports, after learning about Aggarwal’s letter, Mahato allegedly made threatening remarks to him over the phone. Rai condemned Mahato’s behavior, calling it intimidation. He also accused Mahato of facing 49 charges, including money laundering, and leveled similar allegations against Health Minister Banna Gupta.
Rai expressed his intention to approach the Election Commission to crack down on money laundering in Baghmara and ensure strict scrutiny to prevent illicit election funding. While he currently does not have immediate plans to enter the fray, Rai mentioned that if necessary, he would consider contesting.
During a press briefing, Rai also revealed his intention to allocate one BJP seat to the Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency in Jharkhand, citing his close ties with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He emphasized that his association with the BJP is not driven by a desire for seats but rather a commitment to dispel misinformation.
