BJP rides high on Modi wave in Jharkhand, but faces tough time in tribal areas

Ranchi: After an emphatic poll victory in Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party hopes to show a similar feat in Jharkhand. Riding high on the Narendra Modi wave in the state this winter, the party claims to form a government of its own. From forming alliance with All Jharkhand Student Union party to tribal issues, local leaders are also losing their say in decision making. When party office was resounding with cheerful praises after the releasing its last list of poll candidates, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Prem Mittal gave an insight into Jharkhand elections.

Excerpts:

Question: Does a total of 81 seats do any justice to this vast state of Jharkhand?

Prem Mittal: There are only 81 seats for around 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand, which is too less. Also, at the party level more seats mean more opportunities for our leaders who are eyeing the poll tickets.

Question: What will dominate elections this time, local issues or the Modi wave?

Prem Mittal: Local issues will certainly dominate the elections but the major issue this time would be stability and development. People want the state government to take decisions and implement them effectively.

Bureaucracy becomes lethargic during weak governments. Development works are halted and no one is accountable. That's we are fighting elections on "sampoorna bahumat, sampoorna vikas" (absolute majority, complete development).

Question: Is BJP as serious in Jharkhand as it was in Maharashtra and Haryana during the state Assembly elections? Any reason why it hasn't come up with any star-studded poll campaigns?

Prem Mittal: The party will intensify its poll campaign after November 14 since Modiji is travelling abroad from November 9. However, the BJP workers have been preparing for the poll campaigns weeks before the poll dates were announced. The party can't be reluctant for Jharkhand and we have also launched 81 'Prachar Raths' which are making rounds in all the Assembly constituencies.

Question: What was the compelling factor behind BJP's alliance with All Jharkhand Student's Union (AJSU) party?

Prem Mittal: BJP considers AJSU as an old companion. So the decision to join hands with it was not wrong. The BJP doesn't want to lose elections by small margins and regret later on certain seats. So the coalition will benefit the party. There was, however, no compelling force to go for an alliance. The hardworking and confident BJP cadre, much before the tie-up, has been pushing the party to contest on all Assembly seats on its own.

Question: Is there any resentment among the local leaders as major decisions are being taken from Delhi?

Prem Mittal: No, selection of candidates is done after getting inputs from local leadership. Our local committees have their say in deciding poll candidates.

Question: Will BJP's CM-to-be candidate be a Khattar like surprise?

Prem Mittal: It depends on the central leadership who it finds fit to take up the responsibility. The party is following the same modus operandi it did in Maharashtra and Haryana. So there are no projections for the CM post as we are currently concentrating on our election campaigns.

Question: Why didn't the party name a single Muslim candidate in its list? Are you really that confident that your party doesn't require their support?

Prem Mittal: Not fielding a candidate from minority community doesn't mean that we don't require their support. The fact is that there are no strong minority leaders who can ensure victory for the party. It has nothing to do with religion.

Take an example of the Marwari people living in the state. They are our most reliable and ardent supporters and they have a very strong base in the state. Yet there is not a single Marwari name in out list. Tickets have been given to candidates on the grounds of their strong base and winning prospects. The party is vouching for individual efficiency rather than caste configurations.