Jharkhand assembly Polls: JMM seeks President Murmu's intervention says Hemant Soren's chopper take-off delayed for PM Modi's security

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 5 (ANI): Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervation after Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's helicopter was not allowed to take off for over 90 minutes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the State.
The ruling party urged the President to intervene and ensure that all parties get a level playing field for star campaigners in the assembly polls.
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 JMM 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.
"JMM's star campaigner and the current CM of the state, Hemant Soren, had a scheduled election rally in the Gudri block of West Singhbhum district at 1:15 PM. This rally was set to conclude at 1:45 PM, after which a second rally was scheduled at 2:25 PM in the Bazaar Taat area of the Simdega district, for which permission had been granted by the Election Commission of India," the letter said.
"On the same day, the star campaigner of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the current Honourable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi ji, had an election rally scheduled at 2:40 PM at the Chaibasa College grounds. The distance from Chaibasa to Gudri is approximately 80 kilometres, and the distance from Gudri to Simdega is about 90 kilometers. Hemant Soren, who was scheduled to use a helicopter for campaigning, was prevented from flying for more than a one and a half hour over a distance of approximately 150 kilometres, citing the security of the Prime Minister," the letter from JMM added.
JMM sought the president's intervention to ensure the constitutional safety and respect of all elected representatives, regardless of their political affiliation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned for his party on Monday in Jharkhand ahead of Assembly elections in the State.
JMM Leader Manoj Pandey said that a level playing field should be provided to all parties for campaigning during elections, alleging the BJP of stopping CM Soren from election campaigning.
While underscoring the frustration of the BJP, he claimed that Soren was not given ATC clearance and had to face a delay of 1.5 to two hours.
"This is a very serious matter. In a democracy, there should be a level-playing field for campaigning during elections. A level-playing field should be provided to all parties. But it was openly violated. A dictatorial government stopped a popular CM, our star campaigner, a tribal son, from election campaigning. There was a delay of 1.5 to two hours, though it was not necessary. Our leader had to fly in a chopper from Gudri and had to go somewhere else--very far from Ranchi. But he was not given ATC clearance. If these things happen, you can understand how frustrated and dejected they are," he told ANI.

Further expressing his distrust of ECI, Pandey added, "They have stooped to a level where our chopper is not permitted to fly, we can't campaign for elections and we get delayed and there is obstruction in our rallies. Such things are being done at the behest of the BJP government. It is very objectionable. The president is the custodian of our democratic rights and we have written to her, asking her to intervene and control the matter. Because we don't trust the Election Commission."
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)