Subodh Kant Sahay sees Ram Tahal as major hurdle in race for Ranchi seat

RANCHI: Congress candidate for Ranchi parliamentary seat,

Subodh Kant Sahay

will file his nomination papers on April 18. The 67-year-old former Union minister’s name was announced on April 2. But before Sahay files his nomination, Congress is keeping a close watch on the moves of BJP’s outgoing MP

Ram Tahal Choudhary

, who after being benched by the saffron party, has threatened to contest independently.

“I am not fighting against any individual but against BJP,” Sahay told media persons on Sunday, a day after BJP named state khadi and village industries board chairman Sanjay Seth as their nominee for the Ranchi seat.

But Sahay’s camp sounded confident of this year’s prospects. “BJP’s candidate is popular among urban voters but has little connect with rural electorate. On the other hand, Subodh Kant Sahay is popular among the minorities,

OBCs

and tribal voters in rural areas,” an associate of Sahay said.

In 2014, Sahay was defeated by Choudhary by 1.99 lakh votes.

Ranchi parliamentary constituency has over 18.61 lakh voters spread over Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, Khijri, Silli, Tamar and Ichagarh assembly segments. Choudhary, who hails from Kurmi community, enjoys the support of OBC voters, which form a sizeable share.

“I got one year to prepare before 2014 elections. But this time, I have prepared for five full years,” Sahay told TOI.

Over the last week, he has held meetings with JMM and JVM-P workers — Congress’s allies in mahagathbandhan — civil society groups, tribal outfits and held road shows in Silli assembly constituency. On Sunday, he held a door-to-door campaign in Harmu’s Vidya Nagar locality. “BJP lied to the people in 2014. They are doing it again this time. Our fight is against their lies,” Sahay said.