Jharkhand: BJP's Sanjay Seth appears relaxed with Congress divided over ticket

Ranchi: Sixty-four-year-old Sanjay Seth looks relaxed as he sits behind his desk in his election office in Ranchi. "What is there to stress about? There are students who panic right before examination and they rush to get sample papers. But then there are students who study throughout the year and are relaxed during exam time. I am like that...I travel 200 kilometres every day in my constituency and I have never taken a holiday," says Seth, BJP MP from Ranchi who is eyeing a second term.

He counts among his achievements the distribution of 50,000 packets of food during the Covid outbreak, rollout of Vande Bharat trains connecting Ranchi to Varanasi, Patna and Howrah, remodelling of the Ranchi railway station, a book and toy bank and sports and cultural festivals. "We have had a challenge in terms of infrastructure development but now there is connectivity and we will bring it on a par with Bhopal and Lucknow," says Seth.

The contest in Ranchi seems one-sided with Congress giving the ticket to former Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay's 28-year-old daughter Yashaswini. A lawyer by profession, Yashaswini is making her political debut but the campaign is coordinated by her father. The ticket has divided the Congress in Ranchi.

Speaking to ET, Sahay says, "It was Sonia ji's decision. I had gone to meet her and she asked about my daughter, 'Subodh, what is she doing?' Once Sonia ji had made up her mind, there was nothing for me to say or do." Sahay is aware of how difficult the election is but is drawing solace from the crowds at the time of the filing of nomination. "Name one thing that Modi has done for the common man -- the only thing he has done is added stress to normal life," says Sahay.

Yashaswini started her campaign from the rural area of the parliamentary constituency and has been conducting padyatras to reach the different constituents. Seth, however, does not get drawn into a discussion on Yashaswini. "What do I say about her? Subodh ji is like my elder brother and she is like my daughter," he says. But Seth's hold on the constituency is visible. Hemant, a school teacher in Ranchi, says, "The city is congested and traffic is increasing day by day. But we have a very proactive MP who is involved in several activities. We cannot find fault in his dedication."

Outside the city, the sway of the ruling alliance of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress is evident in the villages, especially among the tribals.