The CPM will run a joint campaign with “like-minded” entities in Jharkhand against the communal hatred policy of the RSS-BJP after the panchayat polls that concludes on May 31.

This decision was announced after a meeting of the CPM state secretariat in Ranchi on Friday.

“The campaign against communal hatred policy of the RSS-BJP would begin with a public convention in Ranchi in June, soon after the panchayat polls, and also in Dumka in Santhal Pargana region. We have already received support for our movement from various civil society organisations, human and tribal rights outfits and would also hold talks with secular-minded political parties to join the movement and spread the feeling of mutual brotherhood and make people aware about the divisive policies of the BJP-led Central government and in BJP-ruled states of the country,” said CPM state secretary Prakash Viplav.

The party secretariat meeting also decided to issue a joint appeal to all the residents of Jharkhand taking part in four-phase panchayat polls against giving votes to such candidates who have had a record of inciting communal hatred in the past.

“We will be issuing a general appeal to the voters of panchayat polls on Saturday and this appeal would also be circulated to our party units in all the 24 districts of the state calling upon people to identify such persons who are in fray for different posts in the panchayat polls and have been involved in communal hatred incidents in the past and not give votes to such candidates but also ensure that such candidates lose their security deposit in the rural polls,” said Viplav.

The state election commission announced a four-phase rural polls in the state between May 14 and 27 on April 9. The nomination processes for all the rounds of elections have come to an end on Friday.

The polls to the three-tier panchayats will be held to elect 4,345 mukhiyas, 5,341 panchayat samiti members, 536 zilla parishad and 53,479 gram panchayat representatives. The poll process would conclude with declaration of result of the fourth phase on May 31.

The CPM secretariat also expressed concern over the BJP conspiracies with the help of Central agencies to topple an elected government in Jharkhand.

“Conspiracies are being hatched by the BJP along with state Governor, who is acting as BJP’s agent from the Raj Bhavan, to topple the elected government of Hemant Soren. At the behest of the BJP, the bill against mob lynching passed from the state assembly was returned. On the request of the Governor, the Election Commission has sent a notice to the chief minister in the stone mining lease through a special messenger. BJP is not able to digest its defeat in the 2019 Assembly elections and is indulging in all kinds of gimmicks to topple the government. BJP has only disturbed Assembly sessions so far,” said Viplav.

The CPM leaders urged the BJP leaders to peek into its own past on scams which happened during Raghubar Das’s tenure as chief minister.

“Saryu Rai, a cabinet minister during Raghubar Das’s tenure as chief minister, has written a book and made many serious allegations against Das with evidence. Similarly, Babulal Marandi, standing in the waiting list of the Leader of the Opposition, has also been facing many allegations of corruption.