(From left) Sita Soren, Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi may be fielded by the BJP in the upcoming Jharkhand polls. (PTI)
The BJP has shortlisted 10 reserved seats where the narrative of demographic change — raised by Nishikant Dubey — will be built upon in a more pronounced manner on the suggestion of election co-incharge and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
The Jharkhand assembly election is expected at the end of this year, making BJP wary about tribal votes. Chief minister Hemant Soren’s return from jail has added speed to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)’s election campaign and the BJP is jittery about electoral backlash from the tribal vote bank for putting the son of Shibu Soren — still respectfully called ‘Guruji’ in the state —behind bars.
So, how does the BJP hope to oust the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance to come back to power in the state?
MARANDI, SOREN’S ‘BAHU’, MUNDA COULD FIGHT
One of the key strategies of the BJP in Jharkhand will be to field bigger faces, says a BJP source. “It is a tried-and-tested formula in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assembly elections that yielded results,” the source added. The BJP is contemplating fielding bigger faces like former Union minister Arjun Munda and ‘bahu’ of Shibu Soren — Sita Soren — in reserved seats. Former Ranchi mayor Asha Lakhra, former MP Geeta Koda and BJP’s state president Babulal Marandi too are likely to be fielded, the party hinted.
“If a big face like Arjun Munda or Babulal Marandi fights from an assembly seat, it not only enthuses the cadre there but the cadre of adjoining seats as well,” the source added. The BJP is mindful of the tribal sentiments and the fact it has just two ST Lok Sabha seats in the state. However, with bigger tribal faces in the fray, the party hopes to make the best shot in the assembly poll.
What may spell trouble for the BJP is many of these leaders may not be keen to fight. For instance, Arjun Munda was fielded in the recently held Lok Sabha election from the Khunti seat but was defeated by a huge margin of nearly 1.5 lakh votes. Sources say he is apprehensive of facing a second defeat within months.
The BJP won 37 assembly seats in the 2014 assembly election while in 2019, the tally dropped to 25. Meanwhile, Soren’s JMM won just 19 seats in 2014, which jumped to 30 in 2019, giving them the taste of power again.
NISHIKANT’S OPINION WILL BE BJP’S STRATEGY
BJP MP from Godda, Nishikant Dubey, stirred a hornet’s nest when he raised the issue of ‘demographic change’ in the tribal areas of Jharkhand, demanding a separate Union Territory by carving out a few districts of Jharkhand and West Bengal.
News18 has now learnt that the issue was not his personal opinion but will soon be the BJP’s official strategy in Jharkhand. However, the BJP may not endorse Dubey’s demand for a separate UT.
“The state I come from, when Santhal Pargana separated from Bihar and became a part of Jharkhand, tribals formed 36 per cent of the population in 2000. Today, their population is 26 per cent. Where did 10 per cent of the tribals vanish? This House never worries about them; it indulges in vote bank politics,” he said in Parliament. He also blamed “people from Malda and Murshidabad” — two Bengal districts with a significant Muslim population — for riots in Pakur’s Taranagar-Ilami and Dagapara.
The BJP has shortlisted 10 reserved seats where this narrative will be built in a more pronounced manner in the weeks and months ahead. Sources say the brain behind this is Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who also happens to be co-incharge of the Jharkhand election.
Ensuring a coordinated approach, Marandi raised the issue in a letter to Soren on July 19. In an SOS, he warned in the letter that the day is not far when Santhals will become a minority in Santhal Pargana.
