JMM-Congress alliance set for historic Jharkhand victory, BJP's script backfires: 5 takeaways

Despite the BJP’s mockery, calling them 'Bunty aur Babli', the efforts of the power couple, Hemant and Kalpana Soren, have paid off.

JMM-Congress alliance set for historic Jharkhand victory, BJP's script backfires: 5 takeaways

The JMM-Congress alliance is on course for a remarkable victory in Jharkhand, a state traditionally known to vote out the incumbents. According to Election Commission trends, the INDIA bloc looks set to win 55 out of 81 seats in the state while BJP is ahead in just 25 seats.

Despite running a high-octane campaign and widespread talk of anti-incumbency in Jharkhand, the BJP could not displace the ruling alliance in the state. The victory will be a shot in the arm for chief minister Hemant Soren, who faced several legal setbacks in the run up to the elections and worked fiercely to consolidate the tribal votes in his alliance's favour.

Here are the takeaways from the Jharkhand election results:

‘Batenge Toh Katenge’ slogan fails to resonate

The BJP's election campaign in Jharkhand was largely characterised by the slogan “Batenge Toh Katenge”. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath used it to target the Hemant Soren-led JMM regime in the state. This slogan was aimed at uniting Hindus against alleged atrocities in Bangladesh. At the heart of the BJP claim was the reported “changing” demographics in the tribal regions of Jharkhand, citing the “decline” of the Adivasi population, particularly in Santhal Pargana that borders Bengal and Bihar. As many as 28 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the 81-member Assembly. However, the efforts have clearly goen against the BJP in this assembly election.

Promise of NRC rollout

The BJP campaign also focused on Bangladeshi infiltration issue. From PM Narendra Modi to Jharkhand BJP-co in charge Himanta Biswa Sarma, all the top leaders touched upon the topic during campaigning for the polls. The party portrayed a bleak scenario for regions such as Santhal Pargana and dubbed it as “mini-Bangladesh”. BJP veterans said it would implement the process of creating a national register of citizens and deport those who entered Jharkhand from outside, if the party was elected to power. However, this approach also boomeranged. The ruling coalition countered the narrative accusing the BJP of attempting to divide and sow communal discord in communities.

Hemant Soren’s comeback

Following his arrest earlier this year by the ED in a money laundering case and subsequent release, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has orchestrated a stunning turnaround for the JMM-led alliance in the Assembly elections. The BJP tried to turn the allegations of corruption against him into a poll plank. But his wife, Kalpana Soren, became a decisive factor in mobilising public opinion in his favor by describing the arrest as political victimisation. The JMM-led alliance also portrayed the BJP stand as an attack on the leadership of the state.

Lack of CM face

Old faces may have “lost acceptance” in this poll. BJP’s state unit president Babulal Marandi, a prominent tribal leader, was the state’s first CM. He led the NDA campaign in the state. However, the BJP did not project any chief ministerial candidate in the state. Meanwhile, the ruling alliance rallied behind Hemant Soren as its clear leader. This ambiguity may have hit the BJP prospects in Jharkhand and created confusion among voters as to who would lead the NDA.

Turncoat strategy

The strategy of the BJP to pull out Sita Soren from the ruling coalition may not have worked well. Sita, sister-in-law of the outgoing Hemant Soren, who joined the BJP, was among the party leaders to suffer electorally. Sita lagged by over 33,000 votes in the Jamtara constituency.