Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called the JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand a “ghuspetiya gathbandhan (an alliance of infiltrators)” that appeases trespassers and undermines tribal leaders while engaging in dynastic politics.
Modi accused the ruling coalition of harbouring Bangladeshi ghuspetiye (infiltrators) and called the alliance a “ghuspetiya gathbandhan” for “conspiring to alter the state’s demography for their vote bank”.
“If voted to power, the BJP will bring stringent legislation to return the land grabbed by infiltrators. They (the ruling coalition) will take away tribal reservation and give it to their vote bank,” Modi alleged.
Speaking at consecutive election rallies in Garhwa and Chaibasa — both set for the first phase of voting on November 13 — Modi expressed confidence that the BJP would win a historic number of seats in the Jharkhand elections.
He said the state was rallying behind the BJP with the slogan: “Roti, beti aur maati ki pukaar, Jharkhand mein BJP-NDA ki sarkar.”
Modi specifically addressed the situation of former chief minister Champai Soren, acknowledging his popularity in the Kolhan region.
In Chaibasa, he said: “What did they do to Champai Sorenji? They humiliated an Adivasi son. How can they care for you when their families come first? It’s time to teach such self-serving parties a lesson.”
Champai, once a loyalist of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, had become chief minister after Hemant Soren’s arrest in a money-laundering case earlier this year. Following claims of humiliation, he left the JMM to join the BJP.
Modi’s dynastic digs at the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance government evoked a counterattack from the JMM.
JMM central spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya stated that the BJP has no moral authority to speak on dynastic politics as it has fielded fathers, sons, daughters, daughters-in-law and wives of leaders in several seats.
Meera Munda, the wife of former BJP chief minister Arjun Munda; Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren; Purnima Das, daughter-in-law of former chief minister from the BJP and Odisha governor Raghubar Das; Shatrughan Mahto, the brother of BJP MP Dullu Mahto; and Ragini Singh, the wife of former MLA Sanjeev Singh, are in the poll fray.
Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of Shibu Soren who had joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, is also contesting along with Geeta Koda, the wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda.
The Prime Minister said all records of corruption had been broken in the last five years in Jharkhand.
“Mountains of money come out of the houses of ministers, MLAs and MPs. They have looted your rights. The central government devised a plan to send water to every house. But here the people of the Congress, JMM and the RJD pocketed the money given for this. We can solve every problem with public participation,” Modi said.
