It’s development versus land rights
he said.
In Dhanbad, shopkeeper Sanjay Sahu claimed that the last five years have been the best because of all-around development. “This shows that a stable government can deliver,” he said, referring to the first government to complete its full term since Jharkhand was created in 2000.
Bhola Singh, who claimed to have voted for the BJP in 2014, said that he was angry with the state government for not helping workers like him when they lost their jobs. He added that the ancillary coal mining industry has reduced workers because of the slowdown.
Another worker, Ram Narain Singh, said that many workers have gone back to their villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as there is no work here. “My wife now sells snacks outside our oneroom house and I pull a rickshaw to support my family of six members.”
Chief minister Raghubar Das may be facing anti-incumbency but people did not complain much in Bistanagar colony of Jamshedpur, where he is pitted against his erstwhile cabinet colleague, Sarju Roy.
“A lot of developmental work has happened here during Raghubar Das’s tenure. The roads here are as good as in Delhi or Mumbai,” said Abni Roy, a resident. Mehram Yadav, a rickshaw puller, echoed him and added that the present government is less corrupt.
There appeared to be some resentment against outgoing lawmakers in urban areas despite a general appreciation for the BJP government. This is seen to be the reason why the BJP denied tickets to 10 lawmakers.
Jharkhand minister Loius Marandi said that the BJP government’s focus was on development for all.
“We have worked in every sector. A large number of new colleges and education institutions have been opened. We also started over two lakh self-help groups to empower rural women and provided job avenues to youth,’’ said Marandi.
Marandi underlined that a five-year period is not a long time to bring a huge change in the lives o f peopl e , who have been deprived for centuries. “We have laid the foundation and its impact will be visible in the next five years,” she said. She expressed confidence that the BJP will return to power with a clear majority.
JMM’S general secretary, Vijay Kumar Singh, called the BJP government anti-tribal and anti-farmer. “The government made its intention clear to acquire tribal land for its businessmen friends by proposing to change the tenancy laws. It was only after agitation by us and other opposition parties that the government was forced to take back the decision. Unemployment is an all-time high in the state and migration to other states for work has increased. There is clear discontentment among people against the BJP,” he said.
Pramod Pathak of Dhanbad’s Indian Institute of Mines said that the BJP’S organisation at the ground level is stronger compared to 2014 and its workers have focused on the development works during canvassing. “Still, there is some anti-incumbency against the government and it would be interesting to see if the opposition is able to electorally benefit from it, considering its weak organisational structure at the village level.”
Pathak also said that the tribal and non-tribal divide has a history and is a reality in the state. “There is a strong feeling among tribals that the business community has exploited them and despite Jharkhand’s creation for tribals, justice has not been done. Political parties have unfortunately further aggravated the divide for electoral gains.”
The BJP is considered to be a party of non-tribals even though all its chief ministers before Raghubar Das were tribals. The JMM politics is all about tribals because of which it does not have much presence outside the tribaldominated constituencies.
The staggered assembly elections in Jharkhand started on November 30. The last phase of polling will be held on December 20 and votes will be counted on December 23.