Ajsu Party backs candidate from SC community for Dhanbad mayor

Sharad Chandra

Dhanbad: The Dhanbad Municipal Corporation mayoral election took an interesting turn, with Shantanu Chandra, a Scheduled Caste leader, entering the fray from the general category after securing the support of the Ajsu party. Chandra earlier challenged the reservation status of the mayor’s post in the Jharkhand high court, questioning the decision to unreserve the seat.


The mayoral post in Dhanbad was previously reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. However, following the Election Commission’s notification, the seat was declared unreserved, prompting Chandra to file a petition. Although the court did not rule in his favour, Chandra decided to contest the civic poll to “send a strong message” that his community is not weak.

Sudesh Mahto, Ajsu supremo, openly extended support to Chandra, adding significant momentum to his campaign. Political observers believe this backing made the electoral contest more competitive.Talking to media persons, Chandra said the reservation process for civic bodies is based on the 2011 population census. “The data is 15 years old. In Dhanbad, nearly 2 lakh people belong to the Scheduled Caste community. The rising population justifies reservation of the mayor’s post,” he claimed.

The Election Commission divided nine civic bodies in the state into two categories. Ranchi and Dhanbad fall under 1 category, while Adityapur, Hazaribag, Deoghar, Giridih, Medininagar, Chas and Phusro form the second group. Reservation of mayoral posts was determined accordingly.

Chandra said that his struggle for justice will continue. “Victory or defeat does not matter. My fight is for the welfare and dignity of my community,” he said, adding that people from various communities and several social workers came forward to support his candidature in the upcoming civic polls.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and gift idea !