People dejected after 5 years of JMM: Jharkhand BJP’s Babulal Marandi

Marandi, who was the first chief minister of the state, said the corruption CM Hemant Soren allegedly indulged in has stalled the Jharkhand’s progress.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is headed for a majority in the Jharkhand assembly polls, the state unit president Babulal Marandi said in an interview with Vishal Kant. Marandi, who was the first chief minister of the state, said the people are “dejected” after the five-year rule of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the corruption that chief minister Hemant Soren allegedly indulged in has stalled the state’s progress, assuring a big mandate for the BJP. Edited excerpts:

Jharkhand BJP president and party candidate Babulal Marandi in Giridih. (PTI Photo)

Polling in 43 seats in the first phase is done. Campaigning for the second phase will end on Monday. What is your assessment of these elections?

As per our ground report, we will get much more than the majority figure in the first phase. Of the 38 seats going to polls in the second phase, 18 are in North Chhotanagpur which has been a BJP stronghold. We expect a big lead in second phase as well.

In second phase, 18 of 38 seats are in Santhal Parganas which has been a stronghold of JMM.

It won’t be right to say that it’s JMM stronghold. We have been winning five to six seats in the region. The result this time in Santhal Parganas would be unprecedented.

Why do you think people would give you such a mandate?

People are fed up with the five-year rule of this government. They didn’t deliver on a single promise, yet they are making big promises. So, people don’t trust them. Secondly, development work in the state has come to standstill. They only did development of self and their middlemen. The level of corruption is unprecedented. A common man has never felt so dejected.

But chief minister Hemant Soren alleges the BJP obstructed the government and attempted horse trading, besides impact of Covid in the first two years.

Hypothetically, even if I concede that we disturbed them with agencies, let him say who is responsible for the corruption in block, circle offices and police stations…

On tribal seats, BJP was wiped out in 2019 and Lok Sabha elections. But are you gaining on the ground?

We will have a much better results this time round. We will gain ST seats across South Chhotanagpur, Kolhan and Santhal regions.

INDIA bloc is alleging you (BJP) are polarising the elections.

We are raising the issue of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. How is that issue against a religion if we are talking about identification of infiltrators and action against them? The reality is they have always used religion to create a vote bank and are therefore giving deaf ears to these issues. It goes against their political agenda.

Hemant Soren has also questioned the BJP’s election campaign and alleged that Assam CM Himanta Biswa has taken “supari” to unseat him?

Such remarks generate from the fear they have about the result. They are afraid because Himanta ji is connecting with people and making them aware of the real issues… It’s obvious they would make such baseless allegations.

You are claiming victory for NDA. But no CM face has been announced. Am I speaking to future CM of state if BJP wins?

I never keep any demand before the party for myself. In fact, I am against this. Party will decide.