BJP Plans to Woo Jharkhand Tribals with Traditional Hindutva Poll Plank

New Delhi: Rejected by the tribals in Jharkhand in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is reaching out to them, seeking “their issues” for its manifesto. With the JMM posing a major challenge for the tribal votebank in the poll-bound state, the BJP hopes to wrest power from the JMM-led alliance through its main poll planks of Hindutva, 'land jihad,' and local issues. As part of its election strategy, the saffron party is likely to release at least 30-40 names of its candidates soon. Sources said most of these candidates will be for the tribal seats and could include names of senior leaders, including former Union minister Arjun Munda, state unit chief Babulal Marandi, national commission for scheduled tribes member Asha Lakra, and Arun Oraon.

The party is aggressively campaigning and highlighting how the JMM-led government has failed to check infiltration, which has resulted in infiltrators usurping resources and jobs meant for locals, mainly tribals. In tribal areas, the party is highlighting how infiltrators are marrying tribal women, obtaining certificates, and buying land, which has changed the demography and allowed infiltrators to usurp jobs meant for local people.

There are nearly 28 tribal-dominated Assembly seats, out of which the BJP had won 26 in the 2019 Assembly polls. There are 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly, and the BJP had won 25 seats.

“Land Jihad is a major issue here (Jharkhand)… go to any of the tribal villages and you will find the locals unhappy with infiltrators… (Jharkhand) government will do nothing because it considers them as a votebank. Also, if big names in the candidates list are announced, it will send a positive message to the cadre… announcing candidates' names way ahead of the EC’s schedule will also give ample time for the candidates and the voters to get to know each other,” said a senior BJP leader.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the extended executive committee meeting in Ranchi on Saturday, where he asserted that the BJP will bring out a 'White Paper' on the demography to protect tribal people, their lands, reservation, and rights if voted to power.