In his inaugural rally in Jharkhand for the upcoming Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the BJP’s commitment to tribals and women, highlighting key welfare promises aimed at addressing their needs and aspirations. Jharkhand’s 28 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and its significant women electorate are expected to play a decisive role in the November 13 and 20 elections for the 81-member Assembly.
Prime Minister Modi, in his address, discussed the importance of tribal representation within the BJP and criticized the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government for alleged corruption. However, he refrained from directly targeting Chief Minister Hemant Soren or his family, a strategic move given the respect that the Soren family, including JMM founder Shibu Soren, commands among the state’s tribal communities.
Modi underscored the contributions of the BJP in promoting ST representation in leadership roles. He pointed to examples like the appointment of tribal leaders as chief ministers in neighboring states such as Odisha and Chhattisgarh and highlighted the contributions of tribal leaders like Jual Oram, Durgadas Uikey, Savitri Thakur, and Sarbananda Sonowal in the central government. The PM also referenced the opposition to Droupadi Murmu’s election as President, framing it as a sign of disrespect from Congress and its allies toward tribal leaders.
In a move to appeal to Jharkhand’s female voters, Modi also emphasized the BJP’s pro-women policies and shared several manifesto promises aimed at empowering women. Among these promises was the “Gogo Didi” scheme, which would provide a monthly allowance of Rs 2,100 to women. Additionally, he pledged free education for women interested in nursing courses, with a vision to enable them to work in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, which he claimed have lauded Indian nurses for their work ethic.
The BJP’s past performance among the state’s tribal electorate has been a key point of focus for the party in these elections. In the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections, the BJP managed to secure only two of the 28 ST-reserved seats, while the JMM won 19. The BJP’s appointment of non-tribal Raghubar Das as the chief minister in 2014 was seen as a reason for its limited success in the tribal belt. The party further lost ground among ST voters in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the JMM campaigned heavily on issues like the alleged anti-tribal stance of the BJP and the imprisonment of Chief Minister Hemant Soren on money-laundering charges.
In Chaibasa, Modi urged voters to reject the “Gushpaithiya Bandhan” (infiltrator alliance) and what he called “Mafia ka Ghulam” (slaves of the mafia) — a reference to the JMM-Congress coalition. He accused the alliance of allowing infiltrators to encroach on tribal lands and alter the state’s demography. The PM claimed that these infiltrators were “snatching your daughters, grabbing land, and devouring your bread,” and promised that a BJP-led government would enact strong legislation to reclaim land for indigenous people.
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During a rally in Garhwa, Modi cited remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had urged leaders to carefully weigh welfare schemes in Karnataka. Modi claimed that the Congress’s approach led to economic mismanagement in states like Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, leaving them in financial distress. By contrast, he stated, a BJP government in Jharkhand would provide “suvidha” (convenience), “suraksha” (security), “samriddhi” (prosperity), and “sthirtha” (stability), dubbing these as “Modi’s guarantees.”
The BJP’s manifesto promises additional measures for Jharkhand’s voters, including an unemployment allowance of Rs 2,000 for young people, gas cylinders at a subsidized rate of Rs 500 with two free cylinders during festivals, and the filling of 300,000 job vacancies. Modi also pledged Rs 5,000 monthly stipends for local youth working as interns with major companies under a special PM package. Furthermore, he promised to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal and assured that forest produce would be bought at minimum support prices, providing income support for rural and tribal communities.
The PM’s outreach to Jharkhand’s tribal and women voters is seen as a strategic effort to regain ground lost in previous elections. By addressing their concerns directly and promising economic support and representation, Modi aims to consolidate support for the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls. The Jharkhand elections are shaping up to be a test of the BJP’s appeal among tribal communities and women, as the party seeks to expand its footprint in the state amidst stiff competition from the JMM-led alliance.
