BHOPAL: In a significant political development in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, a progressive organization of tribal youngsters announced on Saturday to contest 80 tribal-dominated assembly constituencies in the year-end polls.
The Jai Adivasi Yuva Sangathan (JAYS) announced to field candidates on 80 tribal dominated seats in the state for forming a government of tribals in the state after the year-end assembly polls.
Out of the total 230 assembly seats which are slated to go to polls by the end of this year, 47 seats are reserved for scheduled tribes, which constitute around 21% of the central Indian state's population.The state has never had a tribal as Chief Minister, but two deputy CM's, Shivbhanu Solanki and Jamuna Devi, have formed part of erstwhile Congress governments in the state.
"We have given the slogan Abki Baar -Adivasi Sarkar and would form the next government by fielding candidates on 80 seats," convener of Jai Adivasi Yuva Sangthan (JAYS) Dr Hiralal Alawa told journalists in Bhopal on Saturday.
When queried that for forming the next government in MP, minimum 116 MLAs are needed, the JAYS convener Alawa said they would seek support of like-minded parties, excepting the ruling BJP, which has not done anything in tribal-dominated areas of the state, particularly on issues like malnutrition, joblessness, education, basic health care facilities and electricity supply over the last 15 years.
He added that for the first time in the history, an Adivasi Adhikar Maharally with the slogan of Abki Bar Adivasi Sarkar had travelled 20 tribal dominated districts of the state. It will culminate with a massive rally in Kukshi area of Dhar district of West MP on Sunday.
Political watchers feel the announcement by the JAYS (an organization of tribals founded in 2012) too field its candidates in the 80 tribal dominated seats would upset the calculations of both the major parties, BJP and Congress, particularly the principal opposition party, which has traditionally been the most favoured party among the tribals.
The organization which is gaining popularity in tribal MP, particularly in West MP districts, including Jhabua, Dhar, Barwani, Alirajpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur and Dewas had fielded candidates through its students wing in 2017 students union polls in the state and managed to win significant number of posts, particularly at the cost of RSS-BJP's ABVP in places where the Congress' NSUI didn't field its candidates.
Founded in 2012, it boasts of over 10 lakh members in MP, Odisha, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand. It first made headlines in 2013 by holding the country's first ever Facebook panchayat in Alirajpur district., followed by a similar event in Barwani next year and at other places afterwards.