Ranchi, June 30 (IANS) Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda Thursday alleged that Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi is taking the help of Maoists to win the Lok Sabha by-poll in Jamshedpur, scheduled for Friday.
‘Who made calls to free three arrested Maoists? People are taking help of Maoists to win the by-poll. The district administration is looking into the issue,’ Munda said.
According to police sources, three Maoists were arrested in Jamshedpur Tuesday, but Marandi phoned the police officials to demand their release, saying they were JVM-P party workers.
Munda was reacting to Marandi’s allegation that the chief minister was staying in Jamshedpur even after campaigning ended Wednesday to influence the result.
Campaigning ended at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The Jamshedpur by-poll is a prestigious issue for the chief minister. The seat fell vacant after Munda was elected to the state assembly in February this year.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded its state unit president Dinesh Anand Goswami, and Munda is camping in Jamshedpur since June 23.
