Jamshedpur: Dr. Ajoy Kumar criticizes BJP’s ‘Panch Pran’ election slogan as gimmick

Jamshedpur: Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament Dr. Ajoy  Kumar has strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) newly announced election slogan, “Panch Pran,” (five vows) labeling it as a mere attempt to deceive the people of Jharkhand ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to the media, Dr. Kumar said the BJP’s promises are designed to mislead voters, particularly targeting economically vulnerable sections, without any real intention of fulfilling them.

Dr. Kumar highlighted the ongoing Maiya Samman Yojana, a scheme introduced by the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government, which provides ₹1,000 per month to women to empower them economically. According to him, instead of supporting this initiative, the BJP filed a petition in the Ranchi High Court to halt the scheme. He questioned the BJP’s recent promise of offering ₹2,100 per month to women in Jharkhand, asking why similar schemes aren’t being implemented in BJP-ruled states. “If the BJP is serious about women’s empowerment, why are they not providing such benefits where they are in power?” he remarked.

Dr. Kumar also addressed the BJP’s promise to offer gas cylinders for ₹500, calling it another hollow pledge. He pointed out that similar announcements had been made in other states before, but people are still waiting for these promises to be fulfilled. “If BJP is promising gas cylinders for ₹500 in Jharkhand, why aren’t they offering the same to the rest of the country? It shows their intentions are purely election-driven, not aimed at genuine public welfare,” he said.

He further criticized the Modi government’s track record, pointing to the 2014 promise of providing 2 crore jobs per year, which he claimed never materialized. “Unemployment has reached a 20-year high, and inflation is crippling the common man, but the BJP is more concerned about retaining power than addressing these pressing issues,” Dr. Kumar added.

The Congress leader concluded by saying that the public has seen through the BJP’s “rhetoric” and is increasingly rejecting their electoral tactics, citing the recent example of Haryana, where BJP faced a significant backlash. He expressed confidence that the people of Jharkhand, too, would reject BJP’s election gimmicks, stating, “Their election slogans will not help them win the trust of Jharkhand’s people.”