SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Jan. 7: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today launched a frontal attack on Chief Minister Hemant Soren dubbing his government ‘anti-tribal’ and of ‘looters and brokers’ thus launching the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Chaibasa in West Singhbhum.
Addressing a public meeting, Shah said that the chief minister of Jharkhand is an Adivasi but his government is anti-Adivasi and has devastated the state, carved out by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “Corruption is at its peak, Power brokers are ruling the roost,” he told a cheering crowd at the campus of Tata Memorial College.
“Hemant Bhai, Kan khol kar sun lo “Brother Hemant, open your ears and listen… tribals will not forgive you if you play with their sentiments. You will see its trailer in 2024.” Shah said.
During his speech, Shah focused mainly on four issues-Corruption, Bangladeshi intruders, BJP’s works for tribals and the misuse of DMFT funds.
Amit Shah’s visit to Chaibasa was aimed at forming a deft strategy in order to reclaim the two seats the BJP had lost in 2019 in Jharkhand. In a meeting with the BJP core committee members, he discu
ssed the party strategy to ensure deeper penetration of the party’s mass outreach programmes in the run-up to 2024 general elections.
The Union Home minister said that Hemant Soren has ditched the tribals in the name of giving jobs. “The last land settlement in Singhbhum was conducted in 1964 and he announced to give jobs on the basis of 1932 land records. Instead of doing it, increase the number of jobs and if you can’t do it, vacate the seat of power,” he said.
“Why are you intent on destroying Jharkhand dividing the people as tribal-non-tribal for vote bank. Tribals chose you as the CM and you have handed over the state in the hands of looteron and dalalon,” he said.
Shah also talked of Bangladeshi intruders who marry tribal girls to grab tribal land. “If you don’t do it, people of Jharkhand will not forgive him. Greed for vote is not above the people’s interest,” he maintained.
Shah also did not forget to remind the people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP coalition partners chose Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman from a poor family, for the top most constitutional post of the country.
Reiterating the commitment of the Modi government for the tribal welfare, Shah said that it declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to mark Birsa Munda birth anniversary when not only the tribals but the whole country will pay obeisance to the tribal icon every year.
Shah also lashed out at the Hemant Government for siphoning off funds meant for the welfare of tribals under DMFT. Jharkhand was allocated Rs 830 crore under DMFT.
He also recounted the achievements of the Modi government, saying the budget for tribals saw a jump to Rs 86000 crore in 2022 from Rs 21,000 crore under the UPA rule.
Notably, the BJP had won 11 out of 14 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While one seat had been bagged by its ally -ASJU-it lost two seats-Chaibasa (Congress) and Raj Mahal (JMM).
The BJP plan is essentially drawn up for 160 Lok Sabha seats across the country – with UP and Bihar occupying a special focus in the overall scheme of things.
Notably, the BJP had lost the Chaibasa seat reserved for the Scheduled tribes to Geeta Koda of the Congress in 2019. The Lok Sabha seat comprises Seraikela, Chaibasa, Majhgaon, Jagannathpur, Manoharpur and Chakradharpur assembly segments.
Voters in the predominantly tribal Singhbhum constituency have not elected the sitting parliamentarian twice in any Lok Sabha election in the past three decades. Bagun Sumbrui, who died in 2018, was the only exception. Since 1996, the seat has been mostly with the Bharatiya Janata Party or Congress with Madhu Koda elected as an Independent candidate in 2009.
Similarly, the JMM had won the Raj Mahal seat, also reserved for the Scheduled tribes. The BJP had won this only twice in the past, first in 1998 and again in 2009. The Congress has won this seat six times, Jharkhand Party twice and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has bagged this seat five times since 1957.
