Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, heading a JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in the poll-bound state, accused the BJP of trying to buy MLAs ahead of the poll.

Addressing a function at Dobo in Chandil sub-division of Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Tuesday to mark‘Apki Yojana, Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar (an initiative in which government holds camps at panchayat level to ensure beneficiaries are linked with welfare schemes), Soren accused the BJP of trying to topple his government from the very next day of assuming power.

“They have been trying to topple our government from the very second day of our assuming power (Hemant Soren was sworn in as chief minister on December 29, 2019). For two years we battled the Covid pandemic and as soon as we started initiating welfare schemes at ground level they set CBI, ED (Enforcement Directorate) and IT behind us to disturb us,” alleged Soren.

“It seems they do not want us to provide financial assistance for elderlies, women, girl students and help youths and farmers stand on their feet. They have not learnt a lesson even after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with their pride being shattered and they had to form the government on crutches,” said Soren.

“We see every day big leaders of the BJP trying to mislead people by flaring up the communal divide. A few days back, the Union rural development minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan who is also BJP’s Jharkhand election in-charge) was visiting in Kolhan region. Please ask the union minister why is Jharkhand getting such a low wage rate in MGNREGA. Even the meagre wage is not paid in time by the Centre,” alleged Soren.

In March this year, the central government notified the new daily wage rate of MGNREGA workers for the financial year 2024-25 and Jharkhand wage rate which was ₹228 in 2023-24 was raised to ₹245. The wage rate come into force from April 2024.

“We heard another big leader claiming that several MLAs are in touch with him. They have been unsuccessfully trying to topple our government by purchasing MLAs and breaking our party. They are not elected by people but form government by money power with help from their capitalist friends,” alleged Soren.

Assam chief minister and Jharkhand BJP election in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Monday speaking to reporters at Ranchi Airport claimed that many of the MLAs from Jharkhand Congress and JMM are in regular contact with him, but there are not enough places in the BJP to accommodate them.

Soren also criticized the BJP leaders terming them as ‘vultures’ who create communal tensions for electoral gains prior to polls in the state.