Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Sudarshan Bhagat, the lone face from Jharkhand in the Narendra Modi cabinet, is confident that the tribals will be voting overwhelmingly for the BJP during the five-phase elections, beginning from November 25, in the State.
“Though they had been voting for the BJP in the past elections too, but the parties like the JMM could also eat into the tribal vote bank. The trend will make a paradigm shift in this election,” he told The Pioneer in an interview.
Bhagat said that the tribals feel cheated by the regional parties, including the JMM. “They (tribals) too want development and the BJP with its government both in the Centre and State will be better placed to give the tribals their due,” he maintained.The BJP had bagged nine out of 28 seats reserved for tribals in the last assembly elections while the JMM 14 seats.
45-year-old Bhagat, the two-time MP from lohardaga, said that both the JMM as well as the Congress traded the Jharkhand movement for personal gains. “It was the BJP which created Jharkhand and knows the birth pangs, So, people now believe that the BJP alone will fulfill the people’s aspirations,” he maintained.
Notably, the infamous JMM bribery case during late Narashimha Rao’s tenure and the Congress forcing the Jharkhand Party merge with it in 1960s are often referred as low points during the Jharkhand movement’s journey.The minister said that the BJP had been in the government in the past, but could not undertake the desired development as it never enjoyed a clear majority in the House. “It was always a victim of the undue pulls and pressures from alliance partners,” he said.
Bhagat, elected as MlA in the 2000 Assembly elections held during the undivided Bihar, had been a state minister in the Babulal Marandi-led NDA Government. When Arjun MUnda replaced Marandi in 2003, Bhagat was made minister of state (Chief Minister’ Secretariat).
The Union Minister said that criminal activities have been on the rise in the State and the regional outfits like JMM and JVM have set a dangerous trend by luring anti-social elements into their fold to influence the elections.“The criminal elements feel emboldened by such overtures,” he added.Bhagat, a blue-eyed boy of the RSS, maintained that the party was united to face the elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi and will accomplish the mission 42.
Taking a dig at the JMM-led Government, the minister said that Hemant Soren had parted ways with the BJP on the issue of domicile policy and yet he did not formulate such a policy, cheating the general public. “The BJP will certainly put in place a locals’ policy to do justice with all sections of the society,” he added.
Bhagat, who completed his education at Kartik Oraon College, Gumla, said that he was confident of the BJP’s performance on three reasons. “Firstly, the performance of the Narendra Modi government during a short tenure, particularly on corruption and price rise issues, will help the BJP endear itself to electorates.”
“Secondly, people are fed up with the corrupt government of Hemant Soren, which has created anarchy in the State and emboldened criminals. People want a change with a clear majority. They have suffered enough due to a fractured mandate in the past.”“lastly, people feel that a BJP government in both the Centre and the State will give impetus to development projects and develop Jharkhand as a model state,” he pointed out.
Bhagat said that he had always advocated undertaking development projects by keeping the tribal identity intact. “We have to equip our youth with various skills and create job avenues in villages so that they do not migrate to metros. Also, we have to put in place industrial and displacement policies keeping in mind the social and economic milieu of Jharkhand,” he signed off.