‘BJP is like a multinational company where innovation is limited and people work as directed by Delhi’: Former Jharkhand BJP leader

You were a rising politician in the JMM. Why did you quit the party in 2019 and the BJP now?

I believe in working for the people and thought I could do more in the BJP as it would provide me a national platform. However, now it seems I was misled. I was too young to understand the nuances of politics.

I fell into a trap as the local BJP unit worked against me after I was declared the candidate. A BJP MP, whom I do not want to name, worked against me and instigated the cadre. The issue was conveyed to the state leadership by the then district president but no action was taken.

As far as quitting the BJP is concerned, I was deliberately excluded from various party activities. I quit as I was demotivated.

Do you see a difference in the working styles of the JMM and BJP?

The BJP functions like a multinational company where scope of innovation is limited and people work in a particular way as directed by Delhi. Also, factionalism is very high and ‘parikrama (sycophancy)’ will give you a career boost, instead of hard work.

On the other hand, the JMM is like a family. I had one point of contact and it motivated me to work hard. (But) One drawback of the JMM seems to be that despite having good ground-level connections, the party is not able to become a brand like the BJP.

Are you referring to the pro- and anti-Babulal Marandi factions in the Jharkhand BJP?

No, there are several factions. There are caste-based factions. Everything is meticulously monitored. For instance, if one gives bouquets to three BJP leaders but posts only one picture on social media, their allegiance is decided.

Are you saying it is not possible to rise up the ranks in the BJP only with hard work?

As a spokesperson, I was asked to personally attack (Hemant) Soren for the last four-and-a-half years, but I refused. This may have angered some leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that for him there are just four constituencies – women, farmers, youth and the poor. However, no youth was given a Lok Sabha ticket. I did not see the change that the BJP promised.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren

Meritocracy or hard work has no place in the Jharkhand BJP and your rise hinges on sycophancy. This is hugely demotivating.

But the BJP has also promoted the rise of leaders like President Droupadi Murmu, a tribal, and made Amar Bauri, a Dalit, the Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly.

These symbolic gestures are good attempts but there has to be a balance. Only sending a message should not be the parameter and the same mindset needs to percolate to the ground level. The BJP is known for social engineering but it is creating new fault lines.

Apart from our President, the BJP made Jharkhand’s Sameer Oraon as the national ST Morcha chief and Arjun Munda a Minister. Even after doing so much, it lost all five tribal seats in Jharkhand. There is something fundamentally wrong on the ground that the BJP is oblivious to. The message seems that the BJP is trying to fix things at the top level only.

What was the BJP’s reaction to your resignation?

After I resigned as spokesperson, I did not get a single phone call from the party leadership. They were just not bothered, as If I didn’t exist. I felt let down and cheated. I was trying to make in-roads, but the state BJP did not help me. Only after I quit the party did I receive calls from the top leadership.

There was speculation that you would join the JMM.

This is baseless. I had put out on social media that any speculation regarding the same would result in a legal notice.

How is your equation with Soren?

I owe my electoral politics to Soren. I had just returned from the UK and started doing some social work when Soren spotted me.

Will you consider contesting elections as an Independent in the coming Assembly elections?

I will talk to my people and make a decision based on that. However, I am not quitting electoral politics anytime soon.