Internal rift can upset BJP’s apple cart

Ranchi: Apart from the challenge posed by the mahagathbandhan of opposition parties, BJP is facing many other hurdles, some from within, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. On Thursday, Jharkhand Kushwaha Mahasabha (JKM), an umbrella outfit of the Kushwaha community, asked the community members not to vote for the saffron party as it had “continued to dupe them”.
Considered as BJP’s traditional vote base, the Khushwaha community forms 14% of the state’s population with strongholds in Hazaribag, Koderma and Chatra where they have around 10 lakh voters, the outfit said.

JKM secretary Satyadev Prasad Verma said they are upset as the party has not nominated any member of their community. “We were behind BJP in every polls. In the past, we requested CM Raghubar Das to have at least one candidate from our community. He assured us that our demand would be fulfilled. We fear our concerns will remain unrepresented in Parliament,” he said.

Kurmis, another traditional BJP vote bank of BJP, is also upset with the party. Kurmi Vikas Morcha has already announced to field its candidates on three parliamentary seats.

In Chatra, BJP nominee Sunil Singh is facing protests both from within the party ranks as well as locals on charges of being inaccessible in the last five years. On April 9, Singh faced severe protests when he arrived to file his nomination papers along with the CM. A similar problem is becoming evident in Palamu as party sources said many local BJP workers aren’t happy with outgoing MP V D Ram.

If party sources are to be believed, reeling concerns are evident in other seats too. In Koderma, Nilam Devi, who recently joined BJP, is allegedly working for RJD’s Chatra candidate Subhash Yadav as she is upset over not getting the party ticket.

Last month, Nilam left JVM-P and joined BJP hoping to get ticket from Chatra or Koderma, which was given to former RJD president Annapurna Devi. Nilam’s phone was out of range till the time of filing this report.

The rift between Godda’s outgoing MP Nishikant Dubey and Madhupur MLA Raj Paliwar could also derail the party’s mission of capturing all three seats in Santhal Pargana, a JMM bastion. In Ranchi, party’s outgoing MP Ram Tahal Choudhary’s rebellion has put many poll managers within the party under fear of losing a sitting seat.

Party’s spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo, however, said that these concerns and hurdles will be put to rest as voting day nears. “Entire BJP cadres from top to bottom in the state are working for the return of PM Narendra Modi at the helm. All senior leaders are working overtime to keep the flock together and to sensitize cadres to keep the country and party’s interests above petty issues. We are confident of bettering our past performance,” he said.