POLITICS

Hemant Soren dares BJP to hold Assembly polls anytime it wishes to

By Rakesh Ranjan- 01 Jul 2024

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New Delhi (01.07.2024): Recently released from jail, JMM leader and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren appears to be defiant amid reports that Assembly elections in the state may be held earlier than the scheduled time i.e. November-December 2024. He dared the BJP to hold it anytime it wishes to. Addressing JMM party worker after his release, Soren announced ulgulan (revolt) against those who hatched the conspiracy to confine him in jail for over five months. “It has come to my knowledge that they are making plans to hold Assembly elections early. I dare them to conduct elections any day. The BJP's dream of winning elections in Jharkhand is like Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne. The BJP will be wiped out in the state," said Soren to his workers.

This is to recall that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA had won 12 Lok Sabha seats while in 2024 it had won 9 seats out of the total 14. The vote share of the BJP has come down to 44.60 in 2024 from 56 in 2019. The BJP lost 2019 Assembly elections despite having thumping majority six months earlier in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 Assembly elections the BJP had won 25 seats and its ally AJSU 2 while JMM had won 30 seats and the Congress 16 making an alliance to form the government.

Popularity of the BJP has come down from 2019 to 2014 but anger against former CM Raghubar Das was channelised by the BJP after he was sent out of state as Odisha governor. Now, the BJP too has a tribal leader Babulal Marandi as party chief but loss of another tribal leader Arjun Munda in the LS elections means they are losing grips over tribal votes. Will the BJP be able to manage majority in the 81 member Jharkhand assembly or caging Hemant Soren is going to cost them dear is the real story. Lok Sabha elections tell the mixed results as anger as such is not visible but if a free CM with the rejuvenated Congress is able to repeat the government in the state that is really interesting to watch for.

(By Rakesh Ranjan)