Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday tried to portray the forthcoming state Assembly polls as a contest between rich and poor in a strategic move to counter the BJP’s Bangladeshi infiltrationcampaign.

Addressing a government function in Garhwa, which was held to mark the distribution of assets to beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, inauguration and laying of foundation stones of various projects for Garhwa and Latehar districts, Soren said: “BJP people spread their hands before you during elections and when their work is over, they throw away the poor and marginalised like flies from milk. This is how they operate. They are a gang of businessmen and the coming election will be a fight between amir and garib. They have enough money and they try to breakaway families, parties and society using money power. There is a need to beware of them,” said Soren.

The statement assumes significance as Soren’s eldest sister-in-law Sita Soren (a sitting JMM MLA) had defected to the BJP prior to the Lok Sabha polls and recently the JMM’s veteran leader and former chief minister Champai Soren had shifted allegiance to the BJP. Both had cited “insult” as the reason for shifting allegiance while resigning from the party.

“It seems all the BJP-ruled state chief ministers and even the Prime Minister are on one side and the poor, backward Jharkhandis are on another side. Let us see who have more strength,” challenged Soren.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already kickstarted a poll campaign in Jharkhand by holding a rally in Jamshedpur and Union minister Amit Shah will visit Sahibganj on September 20 and chief ministers of several BJP-led states will be campaigning in Jharkhand this month.

Political observer and veteran Ranchi-based journalist Ashok Verma said that the speech made it evident that Soren wanted to scuttle the “religious narrative” played by the BJP by raking up the Bangladeshi infiltration issue.

“It is clearly evident that Soren wants to scuttle the religious narrative played by the BJP in raking up the Bangladeshi infiltration issue in the tribal heartlands of the state by portraying the BJP as a party of the rich and the elections a fight between rich and poor. Hemant is cleverly backing his statements with slews of welfare measures especially financial assistance and freebies offered to women, poor and tribals during his tenure,” said Verma.

Hemant continued to blame the erstwhile BJP government for ditching poshan sakhis (trained as nutrition friends to advise expecting and lactating mothers on nutrition to overcome anaemia) and assistant constables who were recruited on contract.

“The previous double engine government (a term used for the BJP government at Centre and state) appointed on contract thousands of poshan sakhis and assistant constables and left them to their fate on the road. It was our government which reinstated the poshan sakhi women and extended the service of assistant constables,” alleged Soren.

“Whenever we demanded Jharkhand’s legitimate right in terms of outstanding coal royalties, the BJP-led Centre had stomach pain and threw me in jail under a planned conspiracy using their agencies. However, we will continue to work for our poor and in the next five years we will begiving ₹1 lakh to each poor family in the state. We havealready waived electricity dues of the poor and make 200 unit electricity free for domestic consumers,” claimed the chief minister.

The Jharkhand government under Hemant Soren has been constantly claiming that the Centre (coal ministry) owes ₹1.36 lakh crore as royalty for coal miningin Jharkhand.