JMM plans to polarise tribal voters by fielding Champai Soren, Jamshedpur comprises 25.01 per cent ST voters

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 4 : Jharkhand MuktiMorcha (JMM)is looking forward to woo tribal voters by declaring Champai Soren as the candidate for Jamshedpur Parliamentary constituency. The 63-year-old sitting Seraikela MLA Champai Soren is said to close to JMM supremoShibu Soren and party decided try its luck on him.

Jamshedpur comprises 25.01 per cent ST voters (over 4 lakh) which are more than Mahtos (kurmi voters) nearly 5.17 per cent (over 84,000). Jugsalai and Bahragora assembly constituencies have the largest concentration of Kurmi votes. The party wants to cash on the tribal sentiments.

� Champai Da has been a mass leader since the statehood movement and has a strong base amongst tribal across Kolhan. We are confident that he will woo the voters in his favour,� said a member of the central executive committee of JMM. He added that JMM has in the last few years has managed to polarize tribal voters. The party has been raising issues of domicile and land acquisition policies of the state government. This will help to mobilize voters.

District president Ramdas Soren said that the state government has failed to take measures for safeguarding the interest of the tribals settled on forest land immediately.  A  large number of landless tribals have been given �Ban Patta� and due to the anti-tribal attitude of the BJP-led Raghubar Das government. The party will raise these issues.

AstikMahto, a close associate of slain JMM leader NirmalMahto was considered ideal for the Jamshedpur candidate, based on the logic to split Kurmi (Mahto) voters and create a dent in the BJP candidate BidyutBaranMahto vote bank.

�Babu Da (nick name of AstikMahto) was a forerunner for the seat as he has a good hold amongst Kurmi voters in rural pockets. However, later it was believed that fielding a leader who had been with Ajsu (he joined JMM again in September 2018) would have sent a wrong message amongst tribal and with Champai Da throwing his hat in the ring, decisions changed swiftly in a matter of two-days,� said the source.

Champai, popularly called Kolhan Tiger, is known for his firebrand politics and, the one who is credited for ensuring mass employment in several industries in the belt of SeraikelaKharswan district.