Ranchi: BJP's Jamshedpur Lok Sabha nominee Arjun Munda faces uncomfortable questions from his opponents as the two-time chief minister tries to use lack of basic infrastructure in his constituency as his poll plank.
"The people of the constituency have been facing water scarcity and have no infrastructure," Munda said when asked what issues he has picked up during campaigning.
But who was responsible for this? asks Congress.
"The state has seen six governments since 2000, and the BJP-led NDA had the maximum tenure with Munda having got to rule more years than any other chief minister. Why did he not addressed the shortcomings which has come to his notice now?" asked JPCC General Secretary Sailesh Sinha.
Munda became chief minister twice after replacing Babulal Marandi in 2003 and ruled the state for over three years.
But, the tribal BJP leader, counters such queries with attacking the UPA governments under independent MLA Madhu Koda and JMM president Shibu Soren and blending national issues in his campaigning.
"The two UPA governments in Jharkhand made a mockery of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act by using machines and thereby depriving employment to the BPL people and corruption was neck deep," Munda, who headed the NDA for the second time in 2005, said.
Munda was successful in roping in party president L K Advani to kick off the electioneering in Jharkhand from his constituency on March 6 despite another party senior Yashwant Sinha, contesting from Hazaribag, being in the fray.
Picking up from Advani's speech, Munda too is highlighting internal security, price rise and other national issues.
"During the UPA reign at the Centre, common people were hit hard following the skyrocketting prices and terror strikes were at its worst," alleges Munda.
He accused the little over two years reign by the UPA in Jharkhand of pushing the state where it had begun.
The state has witnessed six governments in eight years with the NDA and UPA leading it thrice each with varying periods.
Munda, who represents the state assembly from Kharsawan, a seat under Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency, is the first tribal to contest from a general seat since 1977.
Since that year, Jamshedpur voters had sent the BJP four times in 1980, 1996, 1998, 1999, the JMM in 1989, 1991 and 2004 and the Congress (1984) and the erstwhile Janata Party (1977) won once each.
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