Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead a significant roadshow in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on Sunday as part of the campaign ahead of the state’s upcoming assembly elections. Assam Chief Minister and Jharkhand BJP co-in-charge, Himanta Biswa Sarma, described the planned event as a “historic” 3 km roadshow, expected to draw a large crowd. “PM Modi will hold a historic 3 km roadshow in Ranchi, where a large number of people are expected to show up. It will be a historic moment,” Sarma told ANI.
Several prominent BJP leaders will also join the roadshow. Last week, PM Modi addressed rallies in Chaibasa and Garhwa on November 5, following the release of the BJP’s election manifesto for Jharkhand by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During his speech in Chaibasa, Modi emphasized the party’s commitment to addressing issues faced by the state if the BJP were to form a government. He pledged measures to “stop infiltration” and proposed laws to “return usurped land to tribal women.”
Modi also highlighted the BJP’s slogan of “roti, beti aur maati” (bread, daughters, and land), emphasizing the local sentiment supporting the BJP-led NDA. “The entire Jharkhand is saying today – ‘Roti, beti aur maati ki pukaar, Jharkhand me BJP-NDA sarkar’… When the BJP government was formed for the first time, Atal Bihari Bajpayee got the opportunity in Delhi to serve the nation, Jharkhand was formed,” PM Modi stated.
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He criticized the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for engaging in what he called “vote-bank politics” and endangering Jharkhand’s identity. “JMM-Congress-RJD have endangered the identity of Jharkhand. Infiltrators are their biggest vote bank…. Infiltrators are targeting tribal daughters through lies, fraud and deceit, they are marrying and snatching tribals’ land. They are snatching your – daughter, bread and land. I assure you that as soon as the BJP government is formed in Jharkhand, every step will be taken to stop infiltration,” he declared.
Modi went on to accuse Congress and its allies of keeping Jharkhand’s tribal community “poor and deprived” and reiterated the BJP’s commitment to poverty alleviation. He accused the ruling JMM of disrespecting former Chief Minister Champai Soren, pointing to political instability in the state. “In the 1980s when Congress was in power both in Bihar and Delhi and Jharkhand was part of Bihar back then – Gua Goli Kaand happened – the kind of barbarism the Britishers have committed here, Congress did the same with the blood of tribals… RJD leaders used to say that – Jharkhand would be formed on their corpses… The RJD wanted to suppress those who wanted to form Jharkhand, who is sitting in their lap, today? JMM is sitting in the lap of RJD,” he asserted.
Modi added that the people of the Kolhan region are eager to see the BJP return to power. “Kolhan is again ready to uproot the JMM-Congress-RJD’s tyrant government. Everyone is saying that Kolhan is giving to create a history… I am certain that BJP-NDA will form the government with more number of seats than any time in history,” he said. “They (JMM) have disrespected the son, pride of Kolhan – Champai Soren. The way they removed him from the CM’s post by disrespecting him, the entire country has seen it. It’s a disrespect of the entire Kolhan.”
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PM Modi also underscored his personal connection with poverty, citing that the biggest welfare schemes in the past decade have been for the poor, bringing 25 crore people out of poverty. “BJP is committed to removing poverty from Jharkhand… Congress and its allies kept the Adivasi community poor and in deprivation for a long time. JMM-Congress-RJD have endangered the identity of Jharkhand. A conspiracy is being hatched to change the identity, demography of Jharkhand. Supporters of infiltrators have become the stamp of the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance. Infiltrators are their biggest vote bank. JMM and Congress are making fake documents of infiltrators… Infiltrators are targeting tribal daughters,” he said. “They are snatching your – daughter, bread and land… We will bring a law to register the land in the name of tribal daughters… They have found another way – they are declaring schools, colleges and universities as minority institutions – it ends the reservations for Dalits, Tribals and OBCs in these institutions,” he added.
The Jharkhand Assembly, with 81 seats, will hold elections in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting on November 23. Approximately 2.6 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes, including 1.31 crore male voters, 1.29 crore female voters, 11.84 lakh first-time voters, and 66.84 lakh young voters.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, JMM won 30 seats, BJP secured 25, and Congress claimed 16. In 2014, BJP had 37 seats, JMM held 19, and Congress won six seats.
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