Ranchi, Dec 2 (Inditop.com) She is calm and she is contesting. Geeta Koda, in her 30s, has transformed from a housewife into a woman steering an election campaign even as her husband and former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda has been arrested in connection with a massive money laundering scam.
She is a candidate from the Jaggarnathpur assembly seat, which was represented by Madhu Koda in 2000 and 2005 and now goes to polls in the last phase of elections Dec 18. She has been holding meetings with supporters and studying the prospects of five other candidates of the Bharat Samanta Party (BSP) floated by Madhu Koda.
“My husband has been implicated. He could be killed,” Geeta Koda said addressing a public meeting in Jaggarnathpur. For the first time Tuesday, she addressed a rally without her husband, the MP from Singhbhum.
“Even I could not understand why Koda was arrested,” she said. Madhu Koda was held by the vigilance bureau Monday from his Chaibasa house in connection with a Rs.2,500 crore money laundering scam and sent to judicial custody.
But Geeta Koda, who got married to Madhu Koda in 2004, is firmly behind her husband. At some places she also takes her two-year-old daughter. She doesn’t seem too perturbed by the Income Tax (IT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at their residences.
When Madhu Koda was in hospital in the first week of November she went to Rajrappa temple and sacrificed 11 goats. She met supporters in Ranchi.
She is trying to strengthen the position of her husband by ensuring victory in three to four assembly seats.
And she is not the only woman who is suddenly at the forefront of the political scene after their husbands were put in jail.
Former minister Kamlesh Singh’s wife Madhu Singh has also jumped into the poll fray. Kamlesh Singh’s nomination papers were filed from Hussainabad and his wife has also filed from the same assembly seat.
While Kamlesh Singh filed as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee, Madhu Singh will be fighting as an independent. “If Kamlesh Singh’s nomination is cancelled on technical grounds, then Madhu Singh will be allotted the NCP symbol,” said a close associate of Kamlesh Singh.
After filing the nomination papers, she addressed her supporters. She appealed to ensure her husband’s victory. “My husband is innocent. He has been falsely implicated,” said Madhu Singh.
Kamlesh Singh was arrested from Hussainabad in Palamau district Monday after a court issued an arrest warrant against him. On Tuesday he was sent to 14 days judicial custody.
The wives of two other jailed former ministers, Enos Ekka and Haribarayan Rai, have also taken charge of the election campaign. Both Ekka and Rai have been in jail since Aug 17.
Enos Ekka is fighting elections from two seats – Kolebira and Simdega. His wife, Memon Ekka, has taken charge of the campaign. She monitors the election campaign and assigns duties to supporters. She meets people and reminds them of the development work carried out under Enos Ekka.
Rai’s wife too has taken charge of electioneering. He is fighting elections from the Jarmundi assembly seats.
Madhu Koda and the three other jailed former ministers are being held in the Birsa Munda central jail of Ranchi.
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