THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Patna, Sept 1: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren made a strong political entry in Bihar as he participated in the Voter Adhikar Yatra and launched a scathing attack on the Centre.
Addressing the gathering, Soren said, “If they have the courage, let them step down from power and conduct voter revision—then the truth will come out. They are not invincible, the people know everything.”
Soren asserted that the upcoming Bihar elections will play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future. Appealing to farmers, workers, Dalits, and Adivasis to unite, he said that if these groups stand together, “the ruling forces will not be able to withstand them.” He urged people to spread awareness about “the ongoing corruption and black-marketing.”
Migration issue and governance in Jharkhand
The Chief Minister highlighted the challenges of migration from Bihar and Jharkhand, stating that both states have long suffered from large-scale outmigration of men and women.
He claimed that his government has managed to check migration in Jharkhand to a significant extent by providing economic assistance and vowed to stop men too from being forced into becoming migrant workers.
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Accuses Centre of misleading people
Continuing his sharp criticism of the BJP-led government, Soren accused the Centre of misleading voters with “false slogans and jumlas,” and using money power to “buy leaders, ministers, and chief ministers.”
He said that such tactics will not last, and alleged that the issue of voter fraud has long been in play. Referring to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, he remarked that Gandhi had been vigilant on this matter and that those involved in voter manipulation “stand exposed before the people.”
Jail and political struggle
Soren also recalled his own incarceration, claiming that the ruling dispensation had used conspiracies to silence him. “I was kept in jail for several days and had to contest the Lok Sabha election from inside prison. Yet, we formed a full majority government in Jharkhand. Had I been outside jail, they wouldn’t have even opened their account in the Lok Sabha,” he said.
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‘Vote belongs to the nation, not parties’
Calling the vote a tool to defend democracy, he said, “A vote does not belong to any party; it belongs to the nation. Through the vote, the Constitution is protected or destroyed.”
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government, he said that in 2014 “a handful of cunning people captured power through money power,” and since then the country has faced devastation.
He pointed to demonetization, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters, claiming that more people have died since 2014 than in the years after independence.
Soren accused the NDA government of ruling by dividing people, misusing central agencies like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax to intimidate representatives, and suppressing the voices of farmers, tribals, workers, backward classes, and Dalits. “Whenever we have fought united, we have won,” he reminded the gathering.
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Meeting with Lalu Prasad Yadav
Later in the day, Soren visited the residence of former Bihar CM Rabri Devi in Patna and met RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He enquired about Yadav’s health and held detailed discussions on the country’s political situation, socio-economic challenges, and the future of education, healthcare, and youth.
Calling Yadav a “symbol of struggle and justice-oriented politics,” Soren said that his decades of fighting for the poor, backward, and marginalized have strengthened democracy and social justice.
He also underlined the deep historical, social, and cultural ties between Jharkhand and Bihar, stressing that greater unity and cooperation between the two states could accelerate development in the region.
Rabri Devi, family members, and senior RJD leaders were also present during the meeting.
