Revision as of 19:36, 28 February 2022

2019

Allies AJSU-P, JD (U), LJP distance themselves from BJP

Sourav Mukherjee, Rajesh Kumar Pandey & Piyush Tripathi, Nov 13, 2019: The Times of India

After All Jharkhand Students’ Union Party (AJSU-P) and JD (U), another BJP ally, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), has turned hostile by deciding to go solo in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

Newly anointed LJP chief Chirag Paswan said that his party will contest 50 of the total 81 seats. Soon after the announcement, LJP released a list of candidates for five constituencies. The move follows BJP’s refusal to allot any seat to LJP. Chirag, who was in Deoghar to hold a meeting with his party leaders, told TOI his party decided to go solo in Jharkhand after BJP did not accept LJP’s demand for six seats. He also said LJP may go it alone in the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi as well if BJP does heed its demand. He appealed to BJP to be more careful about its regional allies as they, too, have their own ambitions.

The MP from Bihar’s Jamui said,“We refuse to accept seats given as tokens. We were also ready to make compromises in favour of the alliance but there was no response. BJP released its list of candidates without even informing us.”

Chirag, however, clarified that LJP’s decision will not have any implications in Bihar assembly polls. “The decision to go solo in Jharkhand is a separate issue; it will not impact our alliance with BJP at the Centre and in Bihar,” he said.

Turncoats take centrestage

Nov 30, 2019: The Times of India

Key Highlights

Putting behind their political ideologies, several leaders including three former state Congress chiefs have switched over to rival camps in the run-up to the polls.

Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore took everyone by surprise when he joined the AJSU Party to contest the polls from Chhatarpur, which he had won in 2014.

RANCHI: At least 18 political leaders with significant clout in their respective constituencies have switched parties after being denied assembly poll tickets in Jharkhand - a record in the state's 19-year history.

Putting behind their political ideologies, several leaders including three former state Congress chiefs have switched over to rival camps in the run-up to the polls.

While Pradeep Kumar Balmachu joined the AJSU Party, which nominated him from Ghatshila seat, Sukhdeo Bhagat moved to the BJP and secured a ticket from Lohardaga. Another ex- Congress chief, Sarfaraz Ahmad, is contesting the polls from Gandey segment on a JMM ticket.

Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore took everyone by surprise when he joined the AJSU Party to contest the polls from Chhatarpur, which he had won in 2014.

Terming the crossovers as "politics of selfishness", state Congress spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey said, "These leaders have betrayed common people. They are worse than chameleons. No morality, no principles, no ethics ... Their only objective is to get tickets to satisfy their lust for power."

His BJP counterpart Pratul Shahdeo said the saffron party maintained "checks and balances" before taking any leader in its fold and allotting tickets.

"Our agenda is nationalism and development. And not all leaders have been given tickets. Former ministers Samresh Singh (who had his own party-Jharkhand Vananchal Congress) and Girinath Singh (ex-RJD member) joined the BJP, but were not given tickets.

"Just coming to the party does not guarantee a ticket," Shahdeo emphasised.

Among others who deserted their parties are ex-RJD MLA Janardhan Paswan, who secured the saffron party's nomination from Chatra seat, and JMM MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel, who is in the fray from Mandu on a BJP ticket.

Former health minister and Independent MLA Bhanu Pratap Sahi has also joined the BJP to contest the polls on the party's ticket from his sitting constituency Bhawanathpur.

JMM General Secretary Suprio Bhattacharya said the "defectors lacked discipline and ideology".

"What matters to them is personal aspiration and not political ideology. The parties they have joined should think twice before nominating them for assembly polls," he said.

Those that quit the saffron party, include former minister Baidnath Ram, who pocketed the JMM ticket from Latehar, and sitting MLAs Tala Marandi and Phoolchand Mandal.

Marandi quit the saffron party a few days ago to join the AJSU party, which promptly gave him its ticket to contest from the Borio seat, while Mandal secured his JMM nomination from Sindri constituency.

Kushwaha Shiv Pujan Mehta, who won the Hussainabad segment as a BSP candidate in 2014, is fighting from the seat on an AJSU Party ticket.

Deosharan Bhagat, the chief spokesperson of AJSU Party, said leaders often gave in to pressure from their "support base" and switch sides. "This (switching parties) is against the country's democratic ideals. However, some of them take the plunge owing to pressure from their support base. It remains to be seen if will be able to enjoy the same clout having switched parties," he added.

Meanwhile, around 11.02 per cent polling was recorded till 9am on Saturday in the first of the five-phase elections that began in 13 Jharkhand assembly constituencies.

The voting commenced at 7am and will end at 3pm, Election Commission officials said.

Split with AJSU cost BJP key votes

Akhilesh Singh, Dec 24, 2019 The Times of India

Barely six months after BJP swept Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand with a junior ally, winning 12 of 14 seats, the party failed to retain the momentum as its break with Sudesh Mahtoled All Jharkhand Students Union Party seems to have cost it dearly with voting percentages indicating an alliance might have staved off the opposition.

BJP’s loss is underlined by loss of its ‘single largest party’ tag for the first time, with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha winning more seats. The results could mark limits to the utility of ‘national issues’ in overcoming local incumbency and the promise of a ‘double-engine’ of growth — BJP governments at the Centre and state — failing to prevent disillusioned voters from switching loyalties.

The setback raises a question mark on BJP’s handling of negotiations with Mahto. While the regional party did pitch its demands disproportionately, BJP has been able to do business with a range of political parties, even Shiv Sena before its post-poll defection, in the past. Talks with AJSU Party broke down around the time BJP was grappling with Sena’s demands and the party brass saw Mahto’s move as intended to exploit a weakness.

The break left BJP bereft of a ‘local’ partner and Mahto’s appeal among OBCs remained a significant factor in the polls even though AJSU Party came a cropper. The close to 8% vote the regional party accrued could have made the difference between victory and defeat for BJP despite the complaints about CM Raghubar Das’s style of functioning. The lack of confidence about BJP’s prospects was evident in claims of party functionaries suggesting a reliance on post-poll alliances.

In first state polls in 2000, BJP (32) with allies won 40 seats and formed the government. The party again won 32 seats in 2005 and remained the single largest. However, it won 18 seats in 2009, equal to JMM. BJP won 37 seats in 2014 with AJSU as partner. Lacking AJSU Party’s vote bank, the OBC vote did not rally around BJP while tribal sentiment polarised towards the JMM-led alliance. BJP sources said Mahto’s original demand was in excess of 14 seats and the party was not ready to spare more than eight. Though BJP did not field a candidate against Mahto in Silli seat near Ranchi, the latter’s decision to contest in over two dozen seats dampened BJP’s chances even in constituencies dominated by Mahto (OBC) community.

Reports suggest that the Raghubar Das government was successful in reaching development schemes to people and adopted a tough posture against Naxals. But the benefits of the state not witnessing any major Maoist attack and the political stability did not deliver expected returns. The need to counter the downside of Das being a nontribal CM was not addressed.