Oppn alliance may name someone other than Rahul as PM: Hemant Soren
Debasish Chatterjee | TNN | Jan 21, 2019, 21:39 ISTJMM working president Hemant Soren, who was in Kolkata on Saturday to attend a mega opposition rally oraganised by West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, speaks to TOI’s Debasish Chatterjee about the future of the mahagathbandhan that the anti-BJP parties have formed in his home state. Excerpts:
Will JMM support a coalition government at the Centre headed by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in case opposition parties win the upcoming Lok Sabha election?
If Rahul ji decides to head such a government, we will take a decision at that point of time. There are chances that Congress may propose some other leader as head of a new government like in the case of Dr. Manmohan Singh. Right now, it will be very difficult to say who will lead the coalition government.
What makes you think that people will reject BJP in the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Jharkhand?
There are endless reasons. Some of the main ones are note-bandi (demonetisation), GST, rising prices of essential commodities such as petroleum products, and anti-farmer decisions. All these are enough for people to bid goodbye to the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine. People, who voted for NDA in 2014, do not want to make such a mistake again.
How confident are you in taking on a cadre-based party like BJP in the coming electoral battle?
No one should forget that JMM is a party led by the great Disom guru, Shibu Soren, and the people of the state closely identify themselves with JMM and its symbol — bow and arrow. BJP will find it difficult to match JMM this time. Besides, BJP has nothing special to convey to the people of Jharkhand. It has become unpopular because of the anti-people decisions taken by the Modi government at the Centre and the Raghubar Das government in the state over the past four years.
Will you be the chief minister if the mahagathbandhan wins the assembly polls?
Of course. This is what all constituents of the mahagathbandhan decided in their last meeting. Everybody has agreed that I will lead the coalition after it comes to power.
Will you try get former chief minister Arjun Munda, who is now with BJP, back into the JMM?
(Laughs) Let Munda ji first resign from BJP and let him make up his mind whether he wants to come back to JMM. Only then, we can think about this.
What will be your priorities, if you are voted to power?
Employment for youths is on top of my priority list. The job market is dwindling and there is an urgent need to pay special attention to this sector.
How do you look at the demand for prohibition in Jharkhand where drinking is a major issue?
Like my father, I want all Jharkhandis to give up drinking. But I do not want to imitate Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM) and impose a total ban on alcohol. Such a step will give rise to problems like drug addiction. More and more people from Bihar are coming to Jharkhand to drink these days.
Will JMM support a coalition government at the Centre headed by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in case opposition parties win the upcoming Lok Sabha election?
If Rahul ji decides to head such a government, we will take a decision at that point of time. There are chances that Congress may propose some other leader as head of a new government like in the case of Dr. Manmohan Singh. Right now, it will be very difficult to say who will lead the coalition government.
What makes you think that people will reject BJP in the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Jharkhand?
There are endless reasons. Some of the main ones are note-bandi (demonetisation), GST, rising prices of essential commodities such as petroleum products, and anti-farmer decisions. All these are enough for people to bid goodbye to the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine. People, who voted for NDA in 2014, do not want to make such a mistake again.
How confident are you in taking on a cadre-based party like BJP in the coming electoral battle?
No one should forget that JMM is a party led by the great Disom guru, Shibu Soren, and the people of the state closely identify themselves with JMM and its symbol — bow and arrow. BJP will find it difficult to match JMM this time. Besides, BJP has nothing special to convey to the people of Jharkhand. It has become unpopular because of the anti-people decisions taken by the Modi government at the Centre and the Raghubar Das government in the state over the past four years.
Will you be the chief minister if the mahagathbandhan wins the assembly polls?
Of course. This is what all constituents of the mahagathbandhan decided in their last meeting. Everybody has agreed that I will lead the coalition after it comes to power.
Will you try get former chief minister Arjun Munda, who is now with BJP, back into the JMM?
(Laughs) Let Munda ji first resign from BJP and let him make up his mind whether he wants to come back to JMM. Only then, we can think about this.
What will be your priorities, if you are voted to power?
Employment for youths is on top of my priority list. The job market is dwindling and there is an urgent need to pay special attention to this sector.
How do you look at the demand for prohibition in Jharkhand where drinking is a major issue?
Like my father, I want all Jharkhandis to give up drinking. But I do not want to imitate Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM) and impose a total ban on alcohol. Such a step will give rise to problems like drug addiction. More and more people from Bihar are coming to Jharkhand to drink these days.
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