Discontent in Jharkhand BJP surfaces, 6 leaders join JMM, impact to be felt in Kolhan, Santhal 

Ranchi, October 22: Discontent brewing within the opposition BJP in Jharkhand surfaced with several of its leaders, including an incumbent legislator and three former MLAs, switching sides ahead of the assembly polls, expressing their disappointment over the candidates’ list of the party.

Among their grievances was the BJP “ignoring” its own rank and file, and giving nominations to leaders who came from other parties ahead of the elections.

Polling for the 81-member assembly will be held on November 13 and November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23.

“We are pained. If you see the list, the party has reposed faith in those who joined the BJP from other parties, ignoring its own dedicated workers. Of the 66 candidates declared so far, more than half are those who came from other parties,” a BJP leader said.

The turncoats who got a BJP nomination were former CM Champai Soren, his son Babulal Soren, Lobin Hembrom, Ganga Narayan, Manju Devi, Geeta Kora, Sita Soren and Ramchandra Chandravanshi, among others.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the co-incharge for the assembly polls in Jharkhand, dismissed that there was any major discontentment within the party, maintaining that some resentment after the release of the candidates’ list was natural as BJP was a big political party.

Sarma said he would meet the disgruntled leaders.

A slew of BJP leaders, including ex-MLAs Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Lakshman Tudu, joined the JMM on Monday. Last week, three-term BJP MLA Kedar Hazra and its ally AJSU Party’s Umakant Rajak also switched to the ruling party.

Ganesh Mahali who had given tough competition to Seraikela MLA and former chief minister Champai Soren in the last two assembly polls also joined JMM with Jamshedpur Zilla parishad chairperson and BJP senior leader Bari Murmu.

Basco Besra who was a senior leader of BJP ST Morcha also joined JMM.

“Nobody in BJP was even bothered to give me a call. They shortlisted me for the Jamshedpur seat during the Lok Sabha elections but a ticket was denied. It’s a basic courtesy that they give me a call. It pained me a lot, especially when I quit a cosy job abroad and came to India to serve society. I tried to reach all the important people… but nobody bothered and even tried to find out what is wrong,” Sarangi.

He resigned from the primary membership of the BJP in July.

Marandi, a former minister, said it was “painful” to part ways with BJP after serving it for 24 years.

“The BJP in 2014 scripted a historic win in Dumka, which was considered a JMM bastion. But it honoured the women who are brought to the party from outside and not those who dedicated their entire life for them,” she said.

In 2014, she defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren by a margin of 5,262 votes in Dumka but lost to him in 2019 by around 13,000 votes. She lost the 2020 by-election as well to JMM’s Basant Soren as the CM vacated the seat to retain Barhait.

“BJP wanted me to contest from Barhait, which was a new seat for me. I was denied my seat,” Marandi said.

The BJP named Sunil Soren in the Dumka assembly seat.

Hazra, who won the Jamua seat in 2019 by defeating Congress’ Manju Kumari, said though he served the BJP for three decades, he felt neglected. He switched sides as the Congress MLA joined the BJP and was given a ticket.

Tudu, who in 2014 had defeated JMM’s Ramdas Soren in Ghatshila, said he felt “alienated” in the BJP.

In 2019, the JMM-led alliance won 47 seats, wresting power from the BJP.

The BJP had secured 25 seats, JVM-P three, AJSU Party two, and the CPI-ML and NCP one each, besides two Independents emerging victorious.

Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo brushed aside the news of party leaders joining the JMM. Deo described them as ‘dejected and rejected’ individuals seeking opportunities elsewhere. “These dejected and rejected people are joining (other parties), those who did not get tickets in the BJP. There are crores of workers in the BJP, and only a few of them get the opportunity to contest elections. Some of them were fortunate to have been MLAs at one point in time or have contested elections. They were given an opportunity by the party; still, if such ungrateful people are going to other parties, then it means it is more important for them to be MLAs. They have forgotten that the BJP can develop this state,” Deo said.