JMM against BJP's rally at Dumka airport

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has lodged a petition with the Election Commission complaining about the BJP’s move to hold a rally within Dumka airport premises.

The JMM has pointed out to the poll panel that since airport premises is a restricted area and comes under high-security zone, it should not used for political rallies.

Dumka goes to poll in the last phase of election on December 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his bid to resurrect the saffron party in Santhal Parganas, which has 18 Assembly seats in the region, is scheduled to address a rally on December 15, just a day after the fourth phase of polling ends on Sunday.

In the meantime, campaigning in 15 Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand, where the fourth phase of election is slated for December 14, ended on Friday.

In view of the jail-break incident in Chaibasa earlier this week in which hardcore Maoists fled from the jail premises, security has been beefed up in all the sensitive constituencies.

This includes Jharia, Dhanbad, Sindri, Giridih, Bokaro and Deoghar where polling will take place on Sunday.

Former chief minister Babulal Marandi, who earlier lost his son in a Maoists attack, is in the fray from Giridih, while ministers in the outgoing Hemant Soren government Mannan Mallik and Suresh Paswan are contesting from Dhanbad and Deoghar respectively.