Ranchi, Nov 12 (IANS): The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has accused the Election Commission, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Central Government of creating obstacles in its election campaign.
At a press conference here on Tuesday, JMM’s general secretary and spokesperson, Supriyo Bhattacharya, claimed that efforts are being made to prevent party leaders Hemant Soren and Kalpana Soren from using helicopters to campaign.
He alleged that these disruptions are being orchestrated at the behest of the BJP and the Centre.
Bhattacharya alleged that Kalpana Soren’s helicopter was blocked on Monday, and on Tuesday, an Air Force helicopter was deliberately landed between the JMM's two helicopters, causing significant delays. “Despite their repeated requests to fly, Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren were delayed by nearly an hour,” he said.
Targeting Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Bhattacharya questioned the impartiality of the Commission. “The Chief Election Commissioner talks about a level playing field and equal opportunities for all parties, but is this the way to ensure equality?” he asked, adding, “If you cannot ensure fair campaigning, you might as well arrest Hemant Soren to silence him.”
The JMM leader also issued a stern warning to the Election Commission, stating, “If the Commission cannot intervene, it should cancel the elections scheduled for November 13 and hand the BJP a certificate of victory. Do not push us to take to the streets.”
Bhattacharya further alleged that central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are being misused to influence voter perception. “They are conducting raids in the name of investigating Bangladeshi infiltration just to create sensational headlines on the eve of voting. This is nothing but headline management,” he asserted.
Despite these alleged obstacles, the JMM general secretary remained confident of victory. “We will win 38 out of 43 seats in the first phase. The BJP will be wiped out in the entire Kolhan and Palamu regions,” Bhattacharya claimed.