Routed in 2019, how BJP is trying to regain ground in Jharkhand’s Kolhan belt

A BJP leader said the party has been going all out to mobilise its cadre in the region. “Since Kolhan did not give any seat to the BJP, the party has been working to mobilise its workers in the region. Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Vijay Sankalp Rally in Chaibasa in 2023 … The Chaibasa Lok Sabha constituency, which is a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), ended up going to the JMM … Since then, the BJP has been strategising on how to make inroads here. Inducting former Chief Minister Champai Soren is part of the strategy to win some seats in this belt.”

Another BJP leader said the party was “initially not in favour of inducting Champai Soren and wanted him to fight independently”, adding, “However, there is desperation to win a minimum of two to three seats in this division. That is why he was inducted.”

In the 2019 Assembly polls, the JMM won 11 seats in Kolhan, the Congress two, while one went to an Independent. This time, the JMM has again given tickets to nine of its sitting MLAs from the region. In Majhgaon, it has fielded debutante Jagat Manjhi who is MP Jobha Manjhi’s son. BJP rebel Ganesh Mahli who joined the JMM before the coming Assembly polls will contest from Saraikela, taking on Champai Soren.

The Jamshedpur East seat has been given to ally Congress, which has fielded its former state president Ajoy Kumar. The Congress has repeated the tickets of its two sitting MLAs: Banna Gupta from Jamshedpur West, and Sonaram Sinku from Jagannathpur.

In the 2019 Assembly polls, the JMM won 11 seats in Kolhan, the Congress two, while one went to an Independent.

Sensing the need to recalibrate its strategy in the region, the BJP has changed all its candidates in the 10 seats that it is contesting and fielded some new faces, turncoats, and the kin of prominent politicians. Its allies All Jharkhand Students Union Party and Janata Dal (United) have fielded candidates in three seats and one seat respectively. Former Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda’s wife Meera Munda has been fielded from Potka.  In Jamshedpur East, Purnima Das Sahu who is the daughter-in-law of  Odisha Governor and former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das will face off against Ajoy Kumar. As incumbent CM, Das had lost the seat in 2019, making this a prestige battle for his daughter-in-law. In Ghatshila, Champai Soren’s son Babulal who is contesting on a BJP ticket will take on incumbent JMM MLA Ramdas Soren.

Another high-profile seat is Jagannathpur where JMM rebel Geeta Koda who joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls is contesting. Koda won the lone Congress seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, even after her much-publicised move to the BJP, she lost Singhbhum to the JMM’s Joba Majhi.

Along with its developmental pitch, the BJP has been talking of alleged corruption in the Hemant Soren government, lack of jobs, and the “disrespect” meted out to Champai Soren when he was asked to step down as CM as part of its campaign.

The JMM has been relying on its key youth leader Kunal Sarangi who joined the BJP before the 2019 elections but returned to its fold last week. Sarangi is monitoring the campaign in some of the seats. The JMM-led alliance is also campaigning on its trusted welfare schemes such as the Maiyya Samman Yojna to fight the BJP.