'Over dependence' on national leaders to 'internal sabotage': How BJP lost the plot in Jharkhand

The BJP prominently raised the issue of infiltration during the Jharkhand Assembly elections. (File Photo: PTI)

The overwhelming narrative around infiltrators, the impact of Hemant Soren government's populist measures, including schemes such as the Maiya Samman Yojana, the over-dependence on national leaders, lack of a fresh tribal face and "internal sabotage" are among the reasons listed by the BJP in internal discussions around its defeat in the Jharkhand Assembly elections.

According to The Indian Express, the views were expressed by the BJP held a meeting to evaluate the reasons behind its loss in Jharkhand. The meeting saw leaders like BL Santhosh, the BJP's national general secretary (organisation) and Jharkhand president Babulal Marandi, among others in attendance.

The meeting was also attended by leaders of the BJP's election management committee and the in-charges of all 81 constituencies in the state. In the recently concluded elections, the results to which were announced on November 23, the BJP managed to secure only 21 seats while its allies the AJSU, LJP and the JD(U) won 1 seat each.

The JMM, on the other hand, bagged 34 seats, the Congress 16, RJD 4, and the CPI(ML)(L) 2, taking the INDIA bloc alliance's tally to 56 seats, well past the majority mark of 41.

A BJP leader privy to the discussions said that while the alleged "demographic change" due to infiltration was identified as an issue on the ground, it was only restricted to 18 seats in the Santhal Pargana region. The BJP, the leader told The Indian Express, "did not raise other local issues which were on the voters’ minds in the other four regions of the state" with the same intensity.

There were other factors which where also discussed during Santhosh's ongoing four-day visit to the state. These included the populist measures rolled out by the Soren government including the waiver of power dues. The factor of internal factionalism was also brought to the notice of the central leadership and the likely loss in a few seats due to this "internal sabotage".

Another issue that was discussed was the lack of fresh faces from the Adivasi and OBC communities in the BJP. This, local leaders believed, had left them with an ineffective counter against the likes of JLKM's Jairam Mahto and Kalpana Soren, the CM's wife in a state where the people have backed young and emerging tribal leaders.

A section of the party leaders also felt that the party's decision to give too much say to national leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma instead of portraying local tribal faces like Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda also hurt the party's prospects in the state.