Why can’t Kalpana Soren contest from any ST seat in Jharkhand, asks Himanta
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reacting a question on his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren’s letter to him, seeking ST status to Jharkhandi tea tribes in the northeastern state
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that he would reply in writing to his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren’s letter to him seeking scheduled tribe (ST) status to Jharkhandi tea tribes in the northeastern state. Sarma, however, said that Soren already knows the answer to his question.
“I will reply to the letter of Hemant Soren ji in writing. But Hemant Soren already knows the answer to his question. Ask him why Kalpana Soren (his wife) can’t contest from any ST assembly seat in Jharkhand? The answer lies in his family. Still, since he has asked for it, I will give it in writing,” Sarma, who is also the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s co-incharge for Jharkhand assembly elections told reporters in Ranchi.
He was reacting to a question on Hemant Soren’s letter to him earlier this week.
Kalpana Soren,belongs to a scheduled tribe community from Odisha. Since no outsider can claim reservation under the scheduled categories in the state, Kalpana Soren can’t contest from any of the 28 seats reserved for the scheduled tribes (ST) in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. Kalpana currently represents Gandey assembly seat, which is an unreserved constituency.
In his letter, Soren expressed deep concern about the plight of around 70 lakh Jharkhandi tea-tribe community members in Assam, who are currently categorised as other backward classes (OBC) in the state. He sought scheduled tribe status for them, underlining that the community was marginalised despite their significant contribution to the economy of the northeastern state.