RANCHI: Murmu, proposer who signed on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s nomination for the Barhait Assembly constituency, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday and said that he would take initiatives regarding the demographic change in Santhal Pargana.
Speaking to reporter Mandal Murmu said, “First of all, I bow before my ancestors…Sido-Kanhu, Phulo Jhano sacrificed themselves for this nation…I belong to that family. We will take the initiative regarding the demography in Santhal Pargana.”
Mandal Murmu’s joining ceremony took place in the presence of Union Minister and BJP’s Jharkhand election in-charge, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Assam Chief Minister and BJP co-in-charge of Jharkhand, Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Assam CM and BJP co-in-charge of Jharkhand elections Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Mandal Murmu’s joining the BJP signifies that the party has received the blessings of Sido Kanhu and Phulo Jhano.
Sido-Kanhu and Phulo Jhano led the Santhal rebellion, a historic uprising against the British colonial rule and the exploitative zamindari system in present-day Jharkhand in 1855.
Speaking to ANI, Sarma said, “Mandal Murmu did not join our party to campaign for us or to get votes for us. He is not even a politician. Mandal Murmu’s contribution to our party means we have received the blessings of Sido-Kanhu, Phulo Jhano.”
In a post on X, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey welcomed Mandal Murmu’s decision to join the party and said that due to the policies of the current Jharkhand government, the culture of the tribal community is in crisis, hence people from every section of society are joining the BJP.
“Today, Sido-Kanhu’s descendants and Hemant Soren’s proposer, Shri Mandal Murmu, have joined the BJP family. Due to the policies of the current Jharkhand government, the culture of the tribal community is in crisis, hence people from every section of society are joining the BJP,” BJP MP Dubey said on X.
Dubey said that Mandal Murmu has expressed his willingness to make sacrifices to solve the Bangladeshi infiltration problem and is joining the BJP membership without any selfish motives.
Speaking to reporters BJP MP Dubey said, “He said that the population of Santhal Parganas, which used to be 45 per cent tribal, has now dropped to 25 per cent. In an area where there was not a single Muslim in the past, the entire village has now become a Muslim settlement. Regarding these Bangladeshi infiltrators, he said that he is willing to make any sacrifices necessary. He is accepting BJP membership without any selfish motives today.”
Meanwhile reacting to the development, former Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur says, “Hemant Soren had accorded respect to Mandal Murmu. As the descendant of a freedom fighter, he made him (Murmu) his proposer. You should know the circumstances under which he did what he did – how he was first kidnapped, how Police released him, how he was forced to deny being his proposer and finally he was inducted into the party (BJP). This is what the BJP does – how to break the nation, how to topple governments, how to break families…”
#WATCH | Ranchi: On Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s proposer Mandal Murmu joining BJP, former Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur says, “Hemant Soren had accorded respect to Mandal Murmu. As the descendant of a freedom fighter, he made him (Murmu) his proposer. You should know the… pic.twitter.com/X8HTxQ2kG2
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2024
Though, Thakur’s allegations were countered by the Union Minister and BJP election in charge for the state, Shivraj Singh Chouhan who said that “He (Murmu) has joined the BJP. He was not just his (CM’s) proposer. He is the descendent of Sido-Kanho…There is infiltration from Bangladesh, development works have come to a halt, corruption is high. So, he decided to join the BJP and PM Modi.”
#WATCH | Ranchi: On Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s proposer Mandal Murmu joining BJP, Union Minister and BJP election in charge for the state, Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, “He has joined the BJP. He was not just his (CM’s) proposer. He is the descendent of Sidho-Kanho…There is… pic.twitter.com/y0i7GeSeAk
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2024
The Jharkhand Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.
A total of 2.6 crore voters are eligible to participate, including 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters, as well as 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 66.84 lakh young voters.
In the 2020 Assembly election in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 30 seats, BJP won 25 seats and Congress won 16. In 2014, BJP won 37 seats, JMM won 19 seats and Congress only won 6 seats. (With inputs from ANI)
