Ranchi/Delhi: No chief minister in Jharkhand has won a second consecutive term since the state’s inception in 2000. Historically, the odds are against JMM leader Hemant Soren, who seeks another term in office as the state goes to the polls in two phases in November.
But what also goes in the incumbent CM’s favour is that he is the first JMM leader to ensure the party once elections complete its 5-year term in office. However, in the interim, Soren himself had to quit for a brief period after his arrest by the ED in a PMLA case.
That is precisely what JMM has made its trump card as it leads the INDIA bloc in the elections against the NDA. The road ahead, though, for the JMM, Congress, RJD, and CPI (ML) combined is far from easy.
BJP has this time, gone the extra mile to avoid its rout in the 2019 elections in the tribal-dominated seats. The party has promoted tribal leadership in the state. Babulal Marandi, the first chief minister, is also state BJP president. BJP has inducted strong leaders from the JMM camp like Champai Soren to challenge JMM’s dominance in 30 tribal seats.
BJP is hoping to make an inroad into the Kolhan region, where it failed to win a single seat out of 14 up for grabs in 2019. Similarly, in the Santhal Pargana, it would be a challenge for the BJP to wrest back seats where it lost 13 out of 18 to JMM in the last elections.
In addition to corruption allegations, BJP has also revived its familiar tactic of communal rhetoric in election speeches, targeting the state’s Muslim population and raising the issue of alleged Bangladeshi infiltration. Assam CM and Jharkhand BJP in-charge, Himanta Biswa Sarma, even faced a police case on Friday for a communal remark made in Hussainabad
JMM hopes to tide over allegations of corruption and anti-incumbency against its MLAs by playing the son of the soil card. The party has made Hemant Soren’s arrest by the ED its main poll plank as it accuses the BJP of “targeting” JMM leaders.
JMM is also trying to outdo the BJP in handing out doles, especially targeted at women voters. Just ahead of the polls, the state government increased the money being given under the ‘Maiya Samman Yojana’, from Rs 1,000 to Rs. 2500 per month to women between the age group of 18-50 years.
The state government has also highly incentivised power tariffs. Soren government has so far waived unpaid power bills to the tune of Rs 3,584 crore while another agriculture Rs 400.66 crore was waived besides promising 200 units of free power to the poor.
In a twist that adds momentum to JMM’s campaign, several leaders from rival parties, particularly BJP, have recently shifted their allegiance. On Saturday, BJP leaders Pranav Verma and Dara Hazra made headlines by deserting the saffron camp to join JMM. With these two, more than 15 BJP leaders have joined JMM so far, signaling potential cracks in the party base as the polls approach.
But will all these social sector schemes be enough to give Hemant Soren a second consecutive shot at power?
