BJP charges Jharkhand Mukti Morcha of intimidation; JMM trashes allegations

RANCHI: The BJP today accused the JMM of "intimidation and undemocratic tactics" against its candidates and their relatives in Dumka and Barhait assembly seats ahead of tomorrow's fifth and final phase of polling for Jharkhand Assembly.

"JMM activists are intimidating BJP candidates and workers in Dumka and Barhait. We will move the Election Commission against the actions," party's Jharkhand unit president Ravindra Rai said in a joint press conference here.

Rai accused Chief Minister Hemant Soren of instigating his activists against the BJP. Soren is contesting in both the seats. Leader of opposition and former Chief Minister Arjun Munda said the Election Commission itself has stressed upon free and fair elections, but the people sitting in constitutional posts were indulging in "unconstitutional ways in intimidating and misbehaving" with BJP candidates and their relatives.

T S Rawat, the in-charge of BJP's state unit, said the party has given a written complaint to the police. Denying the allegations, JMM's General Secretary Vinod Pandey said that the charges against "the chief minister and his family" reflected the BJP's "frustration" of being in a "perilous" situation in the elections.

The last 16 seats going for polls tomorrow are in Santhal Pargana, said to be the bastion of Shibu Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.