"He has understood that he is going to lose": Himmanta Biswa Sarma after JMM seeks President's intervention

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 5 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday slammed his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party sought the President's intervention alleging that Soren's chopper was delayed in light of PM Modi's security.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the BJP's co-incharge for the Jharkhand assembly elections, accused Soren of making excuses as the JMM leader is alerady aware that he is going to lose in the State Assembly polls.
"PM's itinerary is not confidential. It is shared with the CMO too. Everyone makes their schedule accordingly. If Hemant Soren wants to make PM's security issue a political issue, then think how nervous he is...He has understood that he is going to lose...So, he is making excuses," Sarma told media persons here.
Earlier in the day, accusing Election Commission of partiality, JMM wrote to President Murmu, seeking her intervention to ensure that all parties get a level playing field for star campaigners in the Assembly polls.
Explaining protocols during PM Modi's visit to Assam CM said, "PM is the highest office bearer of the country. When he comes, security arrangements are made for him and air traffic is blocked for half an hour. Everyone knows of these rules. So, in Assam too, if there is an election event by the PM, we conduct our own event at some other place that day."
JMM in their letter mentioned that Hemant Soren was prevented from flying for more than an hour over a distance of approximately 150 kilometres, citing the security of the Prime Minister.
According to the letter, the Election Commission had informed that, from a security perspective, a no-fly zone with a radius of 50 kilometres would be implemented around the Prime Minister, with a restriction on flying for a duration of 15 minutes.
The party stated that ECI had assured all national and state-level political parties both in writing and verbally that leaders, campaigners, and authorised candidates of competing political parties would be provided with equal opportunities to campaign in a fair and fear-free manner, ensuring impartial and guaranteed voting.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi while speaking to ANi said, "This has happened for years, wherever PM holds a program. This is done due to security reasons. This is nothing new... We too prepare our program like that. We don't hold our programs in the area where PM's program is scheduled for the day because we know that flying a helicopter will not be allowed there until he leaves there. It happened during the Congress regime too,"
The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will go through polls in two phases on November 13 and 20, with counting of votes to be held on November 23.(ANI)