Defeating Hemant Soren in Barhait was expected to be challenging for BJP as JMM has held the seat since 1990 while Soren himself has won it twice, in 2014 and 2019.
Voting for Jharkhand’s 81 assembly seats was held in two phases. Ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition is hoping to retain power after edge over BJP in tribal seats in Lok Sabha polls.
Shah also accused the JMM-led coalition of making infiltrators its vote bank, claiming ‘trainloads of illegal immigrants’ would be sent back to Bangladesh if BJP came to power.
'There will soon be a day when tribals are found only in museums,' says an Adivasi youth. As polls near, anxieties over an existential threat to tribal identity rears its head again.
BJP has pulled out its big guns, Modi & Shah, in Jharkhand, while Congress has been slow to start, leaving JMM’s Hemant & Kalpana Soren to carry the campaign on their shoulders.
A domicile policy with 1932 as cut-off year has been a sensitive issue. Party maintains ambiguity to avoid polarisation of tribals & to keep its base of non-tribal voters intact.
Tickets to Champai Soren & his son, Raghubar Das’s daughter-in-law & Arjun Munda’s wife have especially sparked protests within BJP. Former minister Louis Marandi among latest to defect.
From meeting tragedy-hit families to listening Mann Ki Baat with tribals, BJP leader is criss-crossing state. Assam CM's meetings have increased difficulties for JMM, says Geeta Koda.
Six-time MLA was a confidant of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren. Not only is he a foot soldier of Jharkhand statehood movement, veteran leader was JMM's flag bearer for over 30 years.
The graduation is meant to bolster the legacy and legitimacy of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, even as the real-world preparedness lagged behind the glossy narrative.
Indonesia delegation led by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin visited BrahMos facility & met with top officials & undertook a detailed briefing on the missile system.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
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