HER STORY: It's woman vs woman in Singhbhum poll contest

FOR the first time, two women candidates are contesting a gainsteach other in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat. While Member of Parliament Geeta Koda is fighting as an NDA candidate, JMM’s MLA from Manoharpur, Joba Manjhi has been fielded by the INDI alliance from the seat.

- MUKESH RANJAN

Even as people on the roadside favour BJP, the JMM is stronger in the remote villages.

Geeta Koda is banking on the development works done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the other hand, Joba Manjhi is mobilising people raising the issue of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s arrest as an insult to the tribal community.

However, Koda is said to have an edge over Manjhi as the constituency is primarily dominated by the Ho community with almost 59 per cent out of a total of 61 per cent tribal population. As Joba Manjhi hails from Santhal community, he is trying to mobilise people on tribal sentiments.