RANCHI: The traders’ community in Dhanbad has written a letter to the state BJP President, Babulal Marandi, seeking reconsideration of the BJP candidate Dhulo Mahto’s candidature from Dhanbad. Mahto has 49 criminal cases against him and is notorious for coal smuggling, extortion, and other crimes in the Dhanbad region. He is also convicted in four cases.
Copies of the letter have also been sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Prime Minister’s Office, and party national President JP Nadda. The selection of Dhulu Mahto as a Lok Sabha candidate has raised questions among BJP ranks and locals.
On behalf of the business community in Dhanbad, President of the Dhanbad District Marwari Sammelan, Krishna Agrawal, has written a letter to Jharkhand BJP president and former CM Babulal Marandi opposing the move. He alleged that the decision has gripped the business community in panic after Dhulu Mahto’s name was announced to contest from Dhanbad.
“I have written a letter to the senior party leaders requesting them to reconsider the decision taken by the party as it has led the business community into panic,” said Krishna Agrawal.
According to Agrawal, businessmen of the Marwari community and traders of Dhanbad, in general, are in a panic as over three dozen cases of land grab, extortion, and coal smuggling among others are still pending against Mahto. Moreover, Mahto has been convicted for up to 18 months in four cases.
‘Coal mafia’
Candidate Dhulo Mahto has 49 criminal cases against him and is notorious for coal smuggling, extortion, and other crimes in the Dhanbad. Traders’ community believe over three dozen cases of land grab, extortion, smuggling are still pending against Mahto.