Delimitation Row: BJP targets Congress-JMM over Christian rally
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK RANCHI, August 31: The BJP on Monday stepped up its attack on the Congress-JMM alliance over the in…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
RANCHI, August 31: The BJP on Monday stepped up its attack on the Congress-JMM alliance over the in Ranchi on Sunday, with party chief spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo questioning the absence of senior JMM leaders from the event and alleging that the gathering was primarily backed by Congress and Christian organisations.
Shahdeo said the rally, projected as a platform for tribal unity, had exposed the “political character” of the Congress-JMM alliance. He pointed out that Chief Minister Hemant Soren had been invited as the chief guest but did not attend the programme, instead sending a JMM MLA as his representative.
He questioned whether the Chief Minister had stayed away because of the political character of the gathering and the issues raised over representation among different sections of the tribal community.
BJP questions representation in ST seats
Shahdeo also raised the issue of representation of Christian tribal leaders in Scheduled Tribe-reserved constituencies. Citing Census figures, he claimed that tribals account for around 26 per cent of Jharkhand’s population, while Christian tribals constitute around four per cent of the state’s total population.
He further claimed that 11 of the 28 Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes are currently represented by Christian tribal MLAs.
“Rahul Gandhi now appears to have forgotten his own slogan—‘Jiski jitni abadi, uski utni hissedari’,” Shahdeo said, questioning whether political representation should correspond to demographic proportions.
His remarks come amid an increasingly sharp political contest in Jharkhand over tribal representation, demographic change and the possible impact of future delimitation on Scheduled Tribe-reserved constituencies.
BJP calls rally Congress-backed event
Shahdeo described the Ranchi gathering as a “Congress-backed Christian rally” rather than an inclusive tribal Maha Rally. He maintained that the BJP viewed tribal communities as central to Jharkhand’s identity rather than merely as a vote bank.
“Congress may organise as many political Maha Jutans as it wants, but the tribal community will no longer be influenced by slogans. People will judge political parties on the basis of their performance, commitment and work on the ground,” he said.
Archbishop’s appeal becomes BJP’s target
The BJP spokesperson also questioned the reported appeal by the Archbishop asking members of the Christian community to attend the rally.
Shahdeo alleged that the communication went beyond a routine appeal and amounted to an instruction to participate. He also alleged that political parties have historically sought the support of religious leaders during elections.
“Congress has a long history of using religious leaders for political purposes,” he said, drawing a comparison with past instances in which political parties sought endorsements or appeals from Muslim religious leaders.
The BJP leader’s remarks are likely to add another layer to the political debate surrounding the Maha Jutan, which has brought the questions of tribal representation, delimitation and the role of religious organisations in Jharkhand politics into sharper focus.
