RANCHI: Anticipating by-polls on Barhet and Dumka assembly seats, both JMM and BJP have already started their political exercises in Santhal Pargana region to win the masses.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren was on a two-day visit to Santhal Pargana till Wednesday, launched various welfare schemes and distributed properties among locals, while BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi has also been camping in the region and holding a series of meetings with party
workers on poll preparedness.
Notably, Hemant Soren and his brother Basant Soren, who represent Barhet and Dumka seats respectively, have been facing disqualification threats in the office of profit case against them. Both Dumka and Barhet fall under Santhal Pargana. Therefore, in case by-polls take place on the two seats, both JMM and BJP would not let any stone unturned to win the seat as the former would try to protect its ground while later would try to make a dent in the former’s stronghold.
Both parties have started wooing the people; JMM is trying to count the achievements of this government, while BJP, going a step ahead, has promised a mini NRC in Santhal Pargana.
According to Marandi, the demography of Santhal Pargana has changed due to the influx of Bangladeshi in the region, therefore, BJP will implement mini NRC, if their government comes into power in Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, amid political uncertainty in the state, both JMM and BJP leaders have expedited their political exercises in the region. Though BJP insiders called it an exercise to deal with the agony of the people due to a number of heart-wrenching incidents taking place in the region, they, however, did not deny the fact that the party is focussing on Santhal Pargana with by-polls in their minds.
“This is nothing but a coincidence. Several back-to-back incidents took place in Dumka due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, due to which, top BJP leaders had to visit Dumka to provide aid to the affected families,” said a BJP functionary requesting anonymity. He, however, tacitly said that no exercise is done in politics without any motive, further adding that, in the wake of the office of profit case lying pending against the Soren brothers, the focus has definitely been shifted to Dumka and Barhet.
“Since the axe of disqualification hangs on Hemant Soren and his brother Basant Soren, by-polls are likely to be held at any point of time, therefore, perorations are being done to go to the masses in advance,” said the BJP functionary. As of now, only ground-level preparations are being done and meetings with party workers are being conducted by the senior leaders to take stock of the poll preparedness, he added.
JMM leaders also asserted that they are fully prepared for any eventuality.
"In case any untoward happens with the Chief Minister or his brother Basant Soren, we are fully prepared to deal with the crisis. We will go to the people with the number of works done by our government, whether it is domicile policy, 27 per cent reservation for OBC, 75 per cent reservation for locals in private sector jobs, old pension scheme for government employees, compensatory leave for police personnel, or fulfilling long awaited demands of Para-teachers, we are at the win-win situation in all sections of the society," he added.
In addition to that, people are also watching how an elected government is being disturbed through central agencies, due to which there is an undercurrent against BJP among the people.
Santhal Pargana is considered to be a stronghold of JMM, having 9 out of the 18 Assembly seats spread over 6 districts, the ruling alliance currently has 14 seats with it, JMM with a maximum of 9 seats, Congress on the second position with 5 seats while BJP has a minimum of 4 seats. When BJP emerged as the largest single party in 2014 Assembly polls, it bagged maximum of 8 seats, while JMM had to satisfy with only five seats in Santhal Pargana.