Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has gone all out to woo the masses ahead of the Assembly poll.

On Wednesday, addressing a rally to mark the distribution of assets to beneficiaries of government welfare schemes in Godda district Hemant said that if voted to power the government will transfer ₹1 lakh annually to each family.

“We understand the condition of the poor in a state like Jharkhand and want to help the people so that they do not have to depend on money lenders. In the next five years we will transfer ₹1 lakh annually to each family in the state,” said Hemant.

The announcement came even as the BJP is preparing for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jamshedpur on September 15 to flag off the Vande Bharat train and also address a meeting of BJP leaders to chalk out strategy for the Jharkhand Assembly poll.

“We have already started transferring monthly ₹1,000 to each women beneficiaries as part of the Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana (eligible women beneficiaries between 18-50 age group will receive ₹1,000 monthly through direct benefit transfer) and also giving pension to senior citizens, tribals and Dalits after 50 years,” said Hemant.

Trumpeting his coalition (JMM-Congress-RJD) government achievement in the last four and half years, Hemant said: “The developmental schemes initiated by our government will be difficult for BJP to replicate. They (BJP) know the poll outcome and are hiring outside leaders to keep vultures eyes on Jharkhand and conspire to break the society in the name of Hindu-Muslim, tribal and Christians. People should be alert and not let them enter their villages.”

The chief minister mentioned the agricultural loan waiver of ₹2 lakh for farmers, waiver of electricity bills and making 200 units of power free for domestic consumers, government free housing scheme for homeless health care and financial assistance for students and girls.

Hitting out at the BJP, Hemant alleged that the saffron party was only keen on winning the state to loot minerals and forests for their corporate friends.

“They want to come to power at any cost and have already started the game plan of poaching MLAs and even former chief ministers (indirectly hinting at Champai Soren) for electoral gain. They want to rule over the state to loot the mineral and forest resources for their corporate friends. It is for this reason that they have tweaked the forest conservation rules,” alleged Hemant.

Significantly, the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 was passed by the Parliament last year amending provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

Further accusing the BJP of putting obstacles before the state government’s attempt to initiate welfare schemes, Hemant said: “Whenever we implement welfare schemes the BJP leaders have stomach pain and use their people to put obstacles through courts and other means.”

Taking a dig at Prime Minister’s visit to Jamshedpur (on September 15), Hemant Soren said, “The Centre’s mukhiya has no time for Manipur which is burning in communal strife for over a year. They cannot go to Haryana and Jammu Kashmir as farmers and common masses are against them, they are now targeting Jharkhand.”

Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will go for assembly polls in September and October this year respectively.