5 signs that BJP could not read in Jharkhand
The Bhartiya Janata Party has failed to pull off a victory in Jharkhand Assembly Elections. BJP Chief Minister Raghubar Das is also facing election defeat from Jamshedpur East, a seat that he had never lost before this election. Trends for the Jharkhand Assembly elections showed the Congress-JMM alliance ahead of the ruling BJP on 45 seats in comparison to BJP's 26. Hemant Soren has emerged JM-Congress-RJD alliances Chief Minister candidate with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (formed by his father Shibu Soren) is leading on 29 seats and has emerged as the single largest party. There is one takeaway that can not be contested: People in Jharkhand have voted for change.
In Jharkhand electoral history, no Chief Minister has returned to power and Raghubar Das has failed break that jinx. Here's a quick look at important factors that may have dented the ruling BJP's chances in 2019 Jharkhand Elections.
5 signs that BJP could not read in Jharkhand
Non-alliance with AJSU
In the 2014 elections, the BJP had joined hands with All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU) after which the BJP had won 37 seats, while the AJSU had bagged 5 seats. However, the saffron party overlooked its companion AJSU in 2019 assembly elections and decided to go solo, a decision that backfired. Meanwhile, the AJSU performed well in the 2019 Jharkhand elections. Both the BJP and the AJSU have been fighting elections together since the year 2000. Moreover, the saffron party also rejected an alliance offered by the LJP, following which the latter fought on its own.
United Opposition
Once the BJP ignored its supporters and companions, it gave a good opportunity to the Opposition to team up against the saffron party. The BJP's agenda of winning elections all by itself was shattered by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), RJD and the Congress as the Opposition emerged victorious with a mandate in the Jharkhand elections 2019. The Congress, for this year's elections, joined hands with JMM and RJD.
Blow to BJP by party inliners
Ahead of the elections in Jharkhand, senior BJP leader Radha Krishna Kishore quit the saffron party had joined hands with AJSU. Other than this, the BJP did not allot a ticket to its senior leader Saryu Roy. In the Jharkhand elections 2019, Saryu Roy contested against Chief Minister Raghubar Das. According to the recent trends, Saryu Roy gave tough competition to CM Raghubar Das.
No tribal face
Jharkhand is one state that comprises of nearly 26.3 per cent of tribals. The state reserves 28 seats for this community. The Opposition named Hemant Soren (son of former Union minister and tribal leader Shibu Soren) as the chief ministerial candidate. The BJP, however, gave its CM ticket to Raghubar Das. This, in turn, irked the tribal community in Jharkhand, who believed Raghubar Das formed anti-tribal strategies during his 5-year tenure. In addition, Raghubar Das' name also surfaced in news for throwing shoes over tribals during his Khunti visit. According to sources, the state had demanded Arjun Munda as the chief minister, however, the BJP put forth Raghubar Das in power.
No lessons learnt from Maharashtra defeat
The Bharatiya Janata Party had claimed of winning 65 out of total 81 seats in Jharkhand elections. The party had claimed governance, without forming an alliance with another party. The BJP was hopeful of success by fighting elections in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for which several rallies in the state were held by the prime minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Several rallies in the state were also addressed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, however, the strategy fell on its face. If sources are to be believed, the BJP fought Jharkhand elections with utmost carefulness and so did not form an alliance with another party. BJP's defeat in Jharkhand comes months after the saffron party lost elections in Maharashtra, where it stood in alliance with the Shiv Sena. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, however, later joined hands with the Congress and NCP and came to power in an alliance.
Also Read | Highlights of Jharkhand election results 2019
