RANCHI: The BJP is making all-out efforts to make a dent in the Santhal Pargana region, a stronghold of CM Hemant Soren-led JMM, especially on the Bangladeshi infiltration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have spelled out areas where the alleged infiltration has taken place over the years. These are Pakur, Rajmahal, Barhait and Dumka. But JMM has called it a poll plank.
All BJP leaders — Jharkhand election in-charge Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister and co-election in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma — have promised to bring a law to check infiltration.
Former CM Chamapi Soren, who joined the BJP recently, has attacked the JMM over the changing demography of Santhal Pargana. JMM patriarch Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law Sita Soren and former JMM MLA Lobin Hembram, who recently joined BJP, also took the campaign forward.
The BJP maintains it is the tribals who are suffering due to infiltration; their identity is in danger due to ‘love and land jihad.’
“Infiltrators are grabbing tribals’ land by marrying their daughters and snatching their political right by fielding their ‘tribal’ wives on the seats reserved for tribals. They interfere in the village administration after making their wives win in panchayat polls,” says state BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha.
“The locals are now becoming increasingly aware about their roti-mati-beti (bread, land, daugthers) being in danger due to the influx of Bangladeshi people,” he added.
The JMM, on the other hand, believes that the people of Jharkhand have defied the issue being raised by the BJP and the Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana will prove to be a masterstroke and pave the way for the formation of JMM-led INDIA alliance in the state yet again.
Santhal Pargana is considered the focal point of Jharkhand politics and has given three CMs to the state. Besides that, more than a dozen MLAs of this region have become ministers.
Out of the total 18 seats in Santhal Pargana, seven are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one seat for SC, while 10 seats are general seats.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the JMM won 9 seats including Barhet, Borio, Littipara, Maheshpur, Shikaripara, Dumka, Jama, Madhupur and Nala in Santhal Pargana, while Congress won four seats — Pakur, Mahagama, Jamtara and Jarmundi. The BJP managed to get only four seats — Rajmahal, Godda, Deoghar and Sarath.
CM Hemant Soren is again in the election fray from the Barhait seat. His brother Basant Soren is contesting from Dumka on a JMM ticket.
Hemant Soren in poll fray from Barhait
CM Hemant Soren is again in the election fray from the Barhait seat. His brother Basant Soren is contesting from Dumka on a JMM ticket. Barhait is considered a safe seat for JMM as it has succeeded in retaining the seat since 1990. Meanwhile, for the first time, Shibu Soren is away from the election campaign due to poor health.