Ranchi:Tamar assembly seat situated on the outskirts of Ranchi which has been in controversy for 11 years, is likely to witness an interesting fight in the forthcoming Jharkhand Assembly polls.
Three people contesting election from Tamar assembly seat are, Vikas Munda, son of MLA Ramesh Singh Munda, former Maoist Kundan Pahan, accused of killing Munda and Raja Petre, a conspirator in Munda's murder case.
Dreaded Maoist leader Kundan Pahan facing more than 100 criminal cases related to loot and murder including that of killing MLA Munda, is likely to contest from Tamar Assembly seat. Pahan jailed in May 2017, had expressed desire of joining politics during a press conference.
Following this, he sought permission from the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to contest the assembly elections. After getting NIA court permission he has filed nomination papers to fight the polls.
The killing had shocked the entire country and exposed the brutal face of the Maoists.
The other candidate is former Jharkhand minister Gopal Krishna Petre alias Raja Petre who is in jail. He will file nomination papers on November 16.
The NIA court has allowed him to fight the polls. He was arrested in 2017 by the NIA in connection with the murder of former state minister and JD-U legislator Ramesh Singh Munda in 2008.
Munda was gunned down by Maoist guerrillas on July 9, 2008, when he was attending a program in a school on the outskirts of Ranchi. Maoist commander Pahan's name had figured in the killing. Pahan surrendered in May 2017.
It was the first case in which a politician has been arrested in the killing of another politician. NIA sources said that Raja Petre became a legislator from Tamar Assembly seat in 2009, which fell vacant after the murder of Munda.
Raja Petre had created history in Jharkhand as he had defeated then Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM chief Shibu Soren in the January 2009 by-election to the Tamar seat. After Shibu Soren lost the poll, President's Rule was imposed in Jharkhand. Petre was again elected legislator in the 2009 Assembly polls and became a minister.
The third interesting candidate is Vikas Munda. The son of Ramesh Singh Munda won the 2014 Assembly polls from All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) by defeating Raja Petre. He will fight the poll on a JMM ticket.
"People have already answered by ensuring the defeat of a conspirator (Raja Petre) in 2014 assembly poll. People have rejected the negative politics," Vikas Munda said.
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