2008 Simaria by-election

The by-election coincided with the lapse of a 60-day deadline that the Indian National Congress had put forth to Koda to comply with a number of demands, and the party threatened to bring down the government if unfulfilled.[7] On 16 January 2008 the Indian National Congress declared that it would contest the by-election on its own.[5]

Yogendra Nath Baitha had won the Simaria seat in the 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.[8] He had served as the Jharkhand State Committee president of RJD.[9] But ahead of the Simaria by-poll, RJD withdrew Baitha as its candidate for the sake of UPA unity. In response Baitha broke with the party and contested the by-poll as an Indian National Congress candidate instead.[10][11] Baitha presented his nomination papers on 17 January 2008 in the presence of Jharkhand Congress state President Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu.[12] One hypothesis on why Congress decided to break UPA ranks was that it sought to use the by-election to 'test the waters' ahead of the 2009 Legislative Assembly election.[13] Notably, Congress leaders had expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Koda cabinet in terms of development and corruption.[5]

Union Ministers Ajay Maken and Subodh Kant Sahay campaigned in favour of Baitha.[6]

26-year old Anjali Bhogta contested the election as an independent. A key demand of her campaign was the set-up a NTPC power plant at Tandwa. Her husband had been jailed, accused of belonging to the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (a Naxalite splinter group). Bhogta herself had been a BJP member.[14] Fearing that her candidacy would draw voters from J.P.S. Bhogta, the JVM(P) actively tried to convince her to withdraw her nomination.[14]

The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate was Jai Prakash Singh Bhogta, a political newcomer in his late 20s.[1][15] Bhogta is the son of former legislator Mahendra Bhogta.[16] Press reports claimed that JVM(P) would hire two helicopters to help Bhogta campaign across the constituency.[16] Key JVM(P) leaders like Pradeep Yadav, Ravindra Rai, Theodore Kido and Saba Ahmad came to the constituency to campaign for Bhogta.[16]

On 16 January 2008 BJP declared that it would field Kumar Ujjwal Das, Upendra Nath Das' son and political newcomer, as its candidate.[17][18] The party hoped to benefit sympathy wave after the death of Das.[16] He was a 26-year old management graduate of Jadavpur University.[16] Ahead of the election Kumar Ujjwal Das faced opposition from BJP legislator Satyanand Bhogta from the nearby Chatra constituency who wished to field his wife as the BJP candidate instead.[17]

Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda as well as Jharkhand BJP chief P.N. Singh campaigned for Das.[7][19]

The Jharkhand Party candidate Meena Devi was noted for declaring the largest assets, 1,430,000 Indian rupees and two buses.[20]

Kuldeep Ganjhu contested the election behind bars as an independent.[16] Once a Communist Party of India (Maoist) zonal commander, Ganjhu had been arrested in 2004.[21] Ganjhu had requested to get a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket to contest the by-election.[22]

CPI candidate Ram Chandra Ram had contested the Simaria seat since 1985.[17] In the by-poll Ram's candidacy was backed-up by RJD, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).[23][24] CPI Member of Parliament Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta declared Ram as the joint candidate of the United Progressive Alliance.[17]

JMM declared its support for Ram on 16 January 2008 (after RJD and CPI(M) had already pledged their support), calling for unity of UPA partners to defeat communal forces.[18] However, the Indian National Congress (key constituent of UPA) hesitated to support Ram, seemingly wanting to field a candidate of its own instead.[18] Mehta requested Congress president Sonia Gandhi to withdraw their candidate in favour of Ram.[6]

Seeking to distance itself from the Koda cabinet, CPI requested that neither Koda nor any of his ministers would campaign in favour of Ram.[16] Union Railway Minister and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav campaigned in favour of Ram.[25]