As the BJP in Jharkhand grapples with a spate of resignations following the announcement of 66 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, party workers have expressed concern over the party’s “power politics” and internal rifts.
The BJP leader said the party could pay for “not focusing on the workers”. “The announcement of candidates has led to a widespread decline in party morale.”
Since the announcement of candidates, more than a dozen MPs and BJP leaders have quit, many of them defecting to the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) while others are preparing to contest as independents. Three former MLAs – Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Lakshman Tudu – were welcomed into the JMM by party chief Hemant Soren on Monday, three days after legislator Kedar Hazra, now the JMM member from Jamua, and a BJP ally leader. AJSU (All Jharkhand Students’ Union) Umakant Rajak joined the team.
Lois, a former minister who is now likely to contest as a JMM member in Jama, wrote an emotional resignation letter. “The division within the party (BJP) has reached its peak. The faith and loyalty of dedicated workers is questioned while their feelings are not respected in the open arena. After her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the way the former BJP candidate Sita Soren accused the party’s top leadership and true dedicated workers like me of deception and betrayal shows the confusion that is spreading rapidly in the party,” said Lois. .
Another leader said “pain”. “If you see the list, the party has once again relied on those who joined the BJP from other parties, ignoring its dedicated workers. Of the 66 announced so far, more than half are from other parties,” he said.
BJP leaders who have resigned and are likely to contest as independents, Satyanand Jha Batul, Mistry Soren, state working committee member Sandeep Verma and Ganesh Mahli (Saraikela).
Party workers also accused the BJP of “caring for the whims and fancies of power centers” by appointing relatives of former CMs, union ministers and MLAs. “Makhosi were appointed even though they did not participate in the party, to ensure that leaders like (former CM) Arjun Munda, Raghubar Das, Champai Soren and (AJSU Party MP) CP Choudhury do not create problems,” one BJP . the resigned leaders said on condition of anonymity.
The BJP has given tickets to, among others, Purnima Das Sahu, daughter-in-law of former CM Raghubar Das; Meera Munda, wife of Arjun Munda; Babulal Soren, son of Champai Soren; Roshan Lal, brother of CP Choudhary, who joined the BJP hours before the candidates were announced; and Satrughan Mahato, brother of BJP MP Dhullu Mahato.
Earlier it was announced by NDA that BJP will contest 66 out of 81 seats, while partners AJSU Party, JD(U) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 10, two and one seats respectively.
Verma said to X that he will contest the Ranchi seat as an independent if the party does not reconsider its decision. When he was told that Ranchi MLA CP Singh is in his sixth term, he told The Indian Express that Singh got the opportunity only when Yashwant Sinha left his seat to serve in a larger constituency. “He (Singh) won the last election by a little over 5,000 votes. Someone is against him. Also, he was the Minister of Urban Development. What will he be able to do for this city in the next five years when he has not done anything in the past 28? The new generation will have better ideas,” he said.
Some leaders expressed “disappointment” when the BJP chose national leader Babulal Marandi from the general seat of Dhanwar while others said the party should have considered its performance in the Lok Sabha while deciding candidates.
“Sita Soren and Geeta Kora lost in the Lok Sabha elections but were elected in the Assembly elections. On the other hand, the head of state of this party and the face of the nation, Marandi, ran for a seat that is not related to the nation. Does this not show that Marandi, who defeated JMM founder Shibu Soren in the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Dumka, is not confident of winning the seat reserved by ST this time?” said the BJP leader.
However, another BJP leader defended the party and said that “victory” was the only option being considered as the party chief in Jharkhand in charge of the elections and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma ruled out any major defections. “Champai was given certain assurances when he joined the BJP. Apart from this incident, there is no kingly politics. People who belong to the group will stay while others will leave. There is no major rebellion,” he said.