‘People gave their mandate on national issues in LS polls, this is state election’

Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren, in an interview to Amrita Madhukalya, said that nationalism as a poll plank will rob the state of a chance to speak about its issues. Edited excerpts:

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, you had said that in the Jmm-congress alliance, the Congress will be an “elder brother”. Is it the other way around for JMM now?

As far as an alliance is concerned, like-minded parties have been involved in a lot of discussions. While I cannot discuss the arrangement right now, I can say that we will make it public on November 6 or 7.

Will the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha of former chief minister Babulal Marandi be a part of the alliance?

Presently, the political scenario is such that all likeminded parties have the support of each other and we have to sit down, do our homework and come up with the best formula.

BJP’S nationalism and Article 370 poll plank has made it difficult for a lot of regional parties. How will the JMM navigate it?

As far as national issues are concerned, the people of India gave their mandate a few months ago in the Lok Sabha elections. This is a state election. A state has its own problems and they need to be discussed. If we do not talk about Jharkhand’s issues now, when will we have the chance to speak about them?

What, according to you, are the key election issues in Jharkhand this year?

The BJP’S poll plank the last time was “bhay and bhrashtachar-mukt sashan” (a government free of fear or corruption). If the BJP has indeed achieved its vision, and has tackled Maoist violence, then why does the Election Commission of India need to conduct polls in five phases for an 81-member Assembly? It clearly shows that, contrary to their promises, they could never uproot Maoist violence from the state.

Will you be the CM face for the opposition alliance in the state?

That is not a question I can answer. Our alliance partners are better suited to answer that question.

How do you plan to withstand the BJP’S electoral intensive?

The BJP has power and resources on its side, but we have a befitting reply in store for them.