‘Please get us Kalpana’: The growing profile of Mrs Hemant Soren

As part of the welfare scheme launched in August, women between 18 and 50 years old from underprivileged communities are eligible to receive Rs 2,500 each month (the Cabinet on Monday increased the amount from Rs 1,000). This is similar to welfare schemes aimed at women that are in place in states such as West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra. To ensure people get to know about the scheme and receive feedback from the ground, the Soren government started the ambitious “Maiya Samman Yatra” last month. JMM sources said the political objective was to counter the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra that concluded on October 2 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hazaribagh rally. The BJP too has promised to bring in a scheme for women called the “Gogo Didi Yojana” if it returns to power. As part of it, the party has promised beneficiaries Rs 2,100 each month. With 1.26 crore of the state’s 2.59 electors being women, both parties are going all out to get women voters on their side.

Though Women and Child Development Minister Baby Devi was initially scheduled to address a chunk of the events during the yatra, the main attraction turned out to be Kalpana. In the first phase that began on September 23, the Gandey MLA addressed 70 rallies, hitting most of the constituencies in Kolhan, South Chotanagpur, and Palamu divisions that make up half of the 81 Assembly seats in the state. The second phase of the Yatra is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, with Kalpana and other women MLAs of the JMM, including Baby Devi, expected to address more than 75 rallies in the North Chotanagpur and Santhal Pargana divisions.

“Party workers and MLAs are demanding Kalpana Soren’s presence in their areas due to her charisma. Hemant Soren has similar qualities,” said a JMM worker. “Even when Kalpana is at the centre of all events, she ensures she touches the feet of senior leaders and makes other leaders feel welcomed. This has been her key trait.”

Kalpana, JMM leaders claimed, was getting traction even in areas where the party itself may not be strong. In the Rajnagar area of Saraikela constituency, the turf of former CM Champai Soren, Kalpana arrived four hours late for an event but 6,000 people, mostly women, waited to catch a glimpse of her. In the town of Gumla, the JMM MLA is said to have drawn a big crowd days after Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a roadshow.

“The administration gets the crowd for a government function and party workers for roadshows. There is a desire among people to meet Kalpana ji,” said a JMM leader, adding that in the Manika area of Latehar district people listened to her even though it was pouring.

Some leaders of the ruling alliance, however, are not ready to draw conclusions just yet, saying it remains to be seen if Kalpana Soren’s charisma translates into votes. The CPI(M-L) Liberation’s Bagodar MLA, Vinod Singh, told The Indian Express that women were “definitely relieved” after the launch of the “Maiya Samman Yojana” but said cohesion among social organisations was needed to win the elections. “Like the 2019 Assembly polls, different social organisations need to be taken into confidence so that they too help the INDIA alliance win the elections. There are also issues that may haunt the government; for example, jobs,” he said.

A Congress leader emphasised that the focus should remain on the scheme. “It is the scheme that has brought smiles to the people, not just a leader.” Another Congress functionary said the JMM made a smart move by putting forward two faces instead of one, pointing out that projecting one face backfired for his party in the Haryana elections.

Defending the decision to place Kalpana front and centre of the yatra, a JMM leader said, “Political leaders just talk of women empowerment, but here the JMM is actually giving space to a woman and accepting her as a leader. Can you name one BJP leader in the state who can give space to his wife in such a manner? None.”

The BJP has responded by attacking the CM and Kalpana Soren and labelling them “Bunty and Babli”, a reference to a movie about a couple who con people. In a video message posted on social media on October 10, state BJP chief Babulal Marandi said, “Since we put out the ‘Gogo Didi Yojana’, both husband and wife have freaked out. Government officers are issuing notices threatening people … This government did nothing … The movie ‘Bunty aur Babli’ aptly describes Hemant Soren.”

Kalpana promptly hit back saying it was “shameful” that while Goddess Durga was being celebrated during Navaratri, Marandi was making “petty remarks and insulting a woman”.