Week after dramatic car chase, Hemant Soren’s ‘proposer’ Mandal Murmu joins BJP

A descendant of tribal icons Sidho and Kanho, Mandal Murmu is expected to campaign for the BJP in the Santhal Pargana area, which has 18 seats. BJP insiders say he will also vouch for BJP candidate Gamliyel Hembrom, who is contesting against Hemant Soren from Barhait.

“Mandal Murmu joined the saffron party and he will campaign for BJP candidates in the entire Santhal Pargana area. It is a major embarrassment to Chief Minister Hemant Soren,” Godda MP Nishikant Dubey told The Indian Express.

On October 27, the JMM had alleged Mandal Murmu’s abduction, followed by a police team chasing down his vehicle and his detention for about 45 minutes. The incident snowballed, leading to intervention of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and CEC Rajiv Kumar pulling up Jharkhand Chief Secretary and DGP over the incident during a poll-related virtual meeting. The CEC had pointed out lacunae (in observing the Model Code of Conduct), including that when Giridih police stopped the vehicle, they did not videograph the same.

Murmu had earlier denied that he was “abducted” or “was being forcefully taken somewhere”. “Just because I am a proposer for CM Soren, it does not mean I cannot travel or meet anyone,” he had told The Indian Express after the incident.

A JMM source, however, said that it had become clear that Murmu’s hobnobbing with the BJP leaders will turn sour in the end. The source, however, said: “Murmu has lost credibility and people will not accept him anymore.”