Jharkhand Assembly election will be held by the end of the year along with Maharashtra and Haryana. This round of Assembly polls is important for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the I.N.D.I Alliance. At the same time, the NDA will try to win the elections to show their voters and cadres that in spite of some seat deficiency, the NDA is strong enough to defeat the I.N.D.I Alliance. While the I.N.D.I Alliance will try to demonstrate to their cadres that their seat increase in the Lok Sabha election was natural and not by any temporary circumstance.
After a long gap, this Assembly election in Jharkhand is going to witness some major changes. The first change is that Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (P) chief Babulal Marandi will return to the BJP. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) was formed in 2006 after the first Assembly election in Jharkhand. Babulal Marandi has a strong support base in Jharkhand, and his departure from the BJP was a big setback for the party. In fact, in Assembly elections since 2009, the BJP had to fight elections in Jharkhand on two fronts. Firstly to save its vote from the JVM(P) and secondly to the Opposition parties like the Congress party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The NDA will also find a new and strong ally in this election in the form of Janta Dal (United).
Babulal Marandi returning to the BJP was a long pending decision. Most of the leaders who deserted the BJP had returned to the party sooner or later. Such leaders include Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh, B S Yedurappa in Karnataka, Kalyan Singh in Uttar Pradesh, Keshubhai Patel in Gujarat and many more.
The reinduction of Babulal Marandi is a big shot in the arm for the BJP. Babulal Maranadi is the person who had the mass base to challenge the Shibu Soren family on their home turf of the Santhal region. After their departure from the party, the Soren family had sway in the region due to the division of votes between the BJP and the JVMP. Due to Marandi joining the BJP, the Soren family will have to devote more time to the Santhal region for campaigning rather than touring the entire State.
During the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, the NDA took the lead in 52 Assembly Constituencies (ACs). The BJP established a lead in 47 ACs, while its partner, the AJSU, took the lead in 5 ACs. The I.N.D.I Alliance established a lead in only 29 ACs.In the INDI bloc, the Congress party established a lead in 15 ACs while the JMM in 14 ACs. This performance will create a problem of seat distribution in the I.N.D.I Alliance.
A big political development took place in Jharkhand when the Soren family replaced Champai Soren and appointed Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister. Champai Soren belongs to the Kolhan region in Jharkhand. This region has 14 ACs, and the JMM and the I.N.D.I Alliance had to pay a heavy price in the forthcoming Assembly election in Jharkhand. In previous elections, the JMM and INC got a strong support base in this region. The changing of guard in Jharkhand may give a big thrust to the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly election.
The illegal influx of Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohangiys and their settlement will also be a big issue in this Assembly election. The BJP and the NDA will raise this issue vigorously.
