New Delhi: Within two days of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) releasing its first list of candidates, comprising 66 names, for the upcoming assembly polls in Jharkhand, the state unit of the party has been struck by multiple resignations by its leaders, with many of them switching to the rival Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)—former state minister Louis Marandi being among the latest.
The BJP’s decision to give tickets to former chief minister and ex-JMM leader Champai Soren and his son Babulal, Odisha Governor and former CM Raghubar Das’s daughter-in-law, and former CM Arjun Munda’s wife Meera Munda, has left several party leaders miffed. They argue that “outsiders” have been favoured by the top leadership over “committed”. party workers.
In the candidate list for 66 seats, BJP has retained 23 of its 26 sitting MLAs, with the exception of Kedar Hazra, Sammari Lal and Kishun Kumar Das.
Soon after the list was announced Saturday, Hazra, who was denied the ticket from Jamua constituency, quit the BJP. Joining the ruling JMM, he said, “The BJP has no vision for the state. The JMM’s vision is focused on the state’s development.
Jharkhand goes to polls in two phases next month—13 November and 20 November. The results will be declared on 23 November.
‘Injustice to committed party workers’
In Saraikella, after sitting MLA Champai Soren—who joined the BJP with his son less than two months ago—was announced as the candidate, BJP leader Ganesh Mahali, who had lost to Champai in 2019, resigned from the party. Mahali has now announced that he will contest against Champai in the constituency and has gone on to join the JMM. Champai has held the Saraikella seat for four consecutive terms since 2005. His son, Babulal Soren, has been fielded from Ghatsila.
Speaking to ThePrint before he joined the JMM, Mahali said, “Now, the BJP is not for those who have been serving the party for so many years. Outsiders are being preferred over committed BJP workers. When Champai Soren was inducted into the party, I was asked to prepare the ground in Kharsawan. Even ex-CM Arjun Munda was ready for my candidature.”
“Champai Soren did not just get a ticket for himself and his son, but also for his close associate Sonaram Bodra from the Kharsawan seat, which was held by Arjun Munda in the past. This is injustice towards the workers who have supported the party in difficult times. I will fight to defeat Champai Soren.”
In Potka, which is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, the BJP has fielded Meera Munda. Soon after the announcement, former BJP MLA Menaka Sardar resigned from primary membership of the party. She has won the seat thrice—in 2000, 2009 and then in 2014. In 2019, however, she was defeated by the JMM’s Sanjib Sardar. Potka falls under the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency. Both the JMM and the BJP have won this seat four times.
The denial of the ticket to Menaka led many BJP workers associated with her to protest against Meera, calling her an “outsider”. Senior leader Abhay Sahu then had to be sent to talk to Menaka, who has now taken her resignation back.
Similarly, in Jamshedpur East, a ticket to Purnima Das, the Odisha governor’s daughter-in-law, has left another aspirant, Shiv Shankar Singh, disappointed and angry. BJP sources say the leader is now contemplating the idea of contesting against her in the constituency.
Another instance of rebellion has been witnessed in Dumka, where the BJP has fielded former MP Sunil Soren, denying a ticket to former Jharkhand minister Louis Marandi. Marandi—who joined the JMM Monday—told ThePrint that the party had been pushing her to contest against Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the Barhait constituency, but she was against leaving her traditional seat (Dumka).
Marandi had defeated CM Soren in Dumka in 2014. In 2019, he contested election from two seats—Dumka and Barhait, and won both, defeating Marandi in Dumka.
“How can I contest in a seat where I have not worked. The party was offering me a ticket against Hemant Soren in Barhait, but the seat is new for me. I have worked in Dumka, where they have selected another candidate,” she told ThePrint.
In Madhupur, the BJP has another rebel—Raj Paliwar, who has won the seat twice, in 2009 and 2014. He was a minister in Raghubar Das’s cabinet.
He wrote on his Facebook account, “In Madhupur, the party should have rewarded someone who has worked selflessly for the party for years. It is unfortunate that a wealthy candidate has been picked instead of a dedicated worker.” BJP has fielded Ganga Narayan Singh in Madhupur.
Paliwar is now considering joining Jairam Mahato’s Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha. However, sources also say that Paliwar may attempt to ruin Ganga Narayan’s chances by contesting as an Independent.
Similarly, Kumkum Devi, who has quit the BJP, has accused senior leaders of taking money in exchange for a ticket to independent MLA Amit Kumar Yadav in Barkhera. Kumkum Devi told ThePrint, “The party first told me to prepare for the election, but I was denied the ticket last minute. I will expose the names of those who have taken money for the ticket in my constituency.”
Others, like Satyanand Jha ‘Batul’ and Mistry Soren, have also quit the BJP.
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‘Resentment is natural’
A senior Jharkhand BJP leader said the party was aware of the challenge. “That is why the party did not deny tickets to most of the incumbent MLAs. Only three were denied. There are reports of resentment in some constituencies, so the party has deputed senior leaders to convince protesting leaders to not hurt the party’s chances. Those who are annoyed will be compensated when the party comes to power,” the leader told ThePrint.
Pradip Varma, general secretary of the Jharkhand BJP, said, “The party has its own mechanism to deal with such rebellions and we are hopeful things will be sorted out.”
Resentment is quite natural as every leader wants to contest elections, but the party can accommodate only a fixed number of candidates, another party leader said. “Every party faces such rebellions, but the BJP takes it seriously and attempts to reach out to the cadre to mollify them at earliest.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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