Devendra Nath Mahato, an election candidate representing the Jharkhand Bhasa Khatiyani Sangharsh Samiti (JBKSS), was arrested on Saturday shortly after filing his nomination for the Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency at the collectorate here, according to police sources.
Mahato’s arrest stems from his involvement in a case lodged during a 2021 agitation against the government, the police revealed.
Adhikant Mahato, the in-charge of the Lalpur police station, confirmed that Mahato was apprehended because he was wanted in connection with the 2021 agitation. “A warrant was issued against him by the court,” Mahato added.
In response to his arrest, Devendra Nath Mahato accused the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of abusing their authority to incarcerate him. He asserted that his popularity among the people of Ranchi was unsettling to these parties but vowed that their efforts would be in vain. “I will win the Ranchi Lok Sabha seat,” he declared defiantly to reporters.
This incident follows a similar pattern observed on May 1 when JBKSS’s Giridih candidate, Jairam Mahato, was arrested immediately after filing his nomination at the district collectorate in Bokaro.
Jairam Mahato, upon his arrest, had requested the police to grant him two hours to address a scheduled rally. After complying with this request and addressing the rally, he managed to evade the police and escape.
The sequence of events surrounding the arrests of both JBKSS candidates underscores the tension and political maneuvering characterizing the electoral landscape in Jharkhand as the Lok Sabha elections draw closer.
The JBKSS, amidst these challenges, appears resolute in its determination to contest the elections and represent the interests of its supporters across various constituencies.
