Why BJP lost Jharkhand: Candidates open up during poll loss review, cite 5 broad reasons

“Broadly, all candidates attributed their loss to five factors. While the demographic change due to infiltration is certainly an issue on the ground, it is restricted to the 18 seats in the Santhal Pargana region. The BJP did not raise other local issues, which were on the voters’ minds, in the other four regions of the state with the same vigour. On the other hand, the JMM and the JLKM focused their campaigns on tribal identity. The JLKM also spoke about preference for locals in state government jobs while the BJP was focused on a single issue pertaining to the Santhal Pargana,” said a BJP leader familiar with the discussions at the meeting.

The JMM-led coalition, comprising the Congress, the RJD and the CPI (ML) Liberation, secured a historic second consecutive term, winning 56 seats and reducing the BJP to 21, four seats fewer than its 2019 tally. While the JMM-led alliance focused its campaign on tribal identity, the BJP went into the polls on the “infiltration” plank with Assam Chief Minister and party’s Jharkhand election co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma leading the charge.

Santhosh, who is on a two-day tour of Jharkhand, on Sunday met the district presidents, in-charges, and losing candidates. He also held discussions with the leaders of the 10 constituencies where ally AJSU Party contested. The Sudesh Mahto-led outfit won only one seat, with Mahto himself losing in Silli. Sources said the BJP would hold a separate meeting with the AJSUP to discuss the results.

According to sources, discussions were also held on the impact of the Soren government’s populist measures such as announcing the Maiya Samman Yojana and the decision to waive power dues. The BJP leaders also apprised the top brass of the rival factions within the BJP and claimed the party might have lost a few seats due to “internal sabotage”.

The BJP candidates, sources said, also emphasised the need to groom new and young tribal and OBC leaders to counter the challenge posed by Soren, Gandey MLA Kalpana, who is the CM’s wife, and Jairam Mahato. “Marandi ji, (former CM) Arjun Munda, and Sudesh became CM and Deputy CM at a young age. The people of Jharkhand have always reposed their faith in young leaders. Jairam is one such leader whom the BJP underestimated,” said one leader who attended Saturday’s meeting.

Another leader said the JLKM affected the electoral outcome in at least 14 constituencies, largely damaging the NDA’s chances. “Even local candidates did not expect this from a new leader and his party that had fielded unknown candidates,” said the BJP functionary.

Some state BJP leaders also attributed the party’s loss to its “over-dependence” on leaders such as Sarma and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the election in-charge, instead of “local” faces such as Marandi and Munda, who they felt were given less publicity. This backfired in a state where Jharkhandi identity plays an important role, according to them.

“Even as the tribals and OBC were swaying towards Soren and Mahato, the BJP preferred to rely on leaders from outside the state to set the narrative. The people of Jharkhand, for whom the Jharkhandi identity is of prime importance, did not like it. This was conveyed to the leadership,” said a BJP leader, pointing out that Soren and Kalpana prioritised local issues in their speeches. The BJP managed to win only one of the 28 ST-reserved seats in the state.