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Ranchi, May 24 (IANS) The petrol price hike has put the Congress in Jharkhand in an embarrassing situation ahead of the June 15 Hatia assembly byelection. The poll process began this week with the notification. The seat was won by the Congress in 2004 by just 24 votes. Both ruling and opposition parties except the Congress have condemned the hike in petrol price that went into effect from Wednesday midnight. Congress leaders privately admit that the increase in petrol prices will give an edge to their opponents in the election. "The timing of the hike will go against our candidate," a Congress leader told IANS on condition of anonymity. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to cash in on the issue. "This is a gift of the UPA government to the country on completing three years in power," Pradeep Sinha of BJP told IANS. The Hatia seat fell vacant after the death of Gopal Nath Sahdeo of the Congress in 2010. The ruling BJP and its ally All Jharkhand Stuents Union have fielded Ramjilal Sarda and Naveen Jaiswal as their respective candidates Congress candidate Sunil Sahay is the younger brother of central Tourism Minister and Lok Sabha MP Subodh Kant Sahay. The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik has fielded Ajay Nath Sahdeo.
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