”I am joining the BJP to “save the identity of tribals", says Champai Soren.

“The Opposition( read BJP) has again started its 'sarkar todo Abhiyan' and 'vidhayak todo Abhiyan' (break the government and poach the MLAs campaign) as it did during the Lok Sabha elections”, said Hemant Soren. 

After keeping mum for almost ten days since JMM’s senior Adivasi leader and Minister Champai Soren, who has expressed strong dissatisfaction with his party and posted on X his three options- retire, float a party, and look for a friend who can make him go forward - on August 18, has spoken and made it clear what really compelled him to oppose the party( JMM) led by CM Hemant Soren. 

Aware of it, CM Soren, instead of uttering a word against Champai Soren, preferred to criticize the rival party BJP. 

Even Champai Soren who is slated to join the BJP with his son Babulal Soren in Ranchi on August 30, has not made any verbal attack on Hemant.  

However, both Champai Soren and Hemant Soren have indicated their plans to confront each other on behalf of their respective parties. 

The CM Hemant Soren has stuck to transferring the installments of Rs 1,000 each to the bank accounts of women beneficiaries in Pakur district under the 'Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana' and making a promise to provide electricity “ free of cost to all those consumers who don’t file Income Tax Returns.” 

With these schemes, CM Soren appears determined to keep his vote bank composition comprising Adivasi and Muslims intact in order to retain power by winning the upcoming Assembly polls in 2024. 

-----------------------------Advertisement------------------------------------ 

His party JMM has strongholds in two Adivasi-dominated divisions of Jharkhand Santhal Pargana and Kolhan - West Singhbhum, Saraikela - Kharsawan, and East Singhbhum district. 

To counter the Hemant Soren-led JMM’s vote bank of Adivasi- Muslim combination, the BJP has been pursuing its agenda against “ demographic change” and “ Bangladeshi infiltrators” in Santhal Pargana and Kolhan. The population of Adivasi has dwindled in these divisions.

And there have been many FIRs registered by the police by the Adivasis on complaints of land grabbing, rape, and murder in these divisions. A number of protests have been carried forward by Adivasi groups, each seeking security. 

Against this background, Champai Soren has made it clear that he was joining the BJP to "save the identity of tribals" in the Santhal Pargana area. Champai Soren has gone on record saying that no other political party was serious about the issue as they only cared for votes.

In a post on X in Hindi on Tuesday evening, Champai Soren said that the people of the Kolhan region stood with him at every step and did not agree to the option of him taking 'sanyaas' (retirement) from politics. 

He has said that the people of Kolhan region stood with him “at every step, and they rejected the option of taking sanyas ( retirement, he said in the tweet.

"There was no such forum/platform in the party where I could express my pain and leaders senior to me are away from politics due to health reasons," he said. 

Champai Soren further claimed that he did not have a platform where he could express his pain and that senior JMM leaders were not reachable due to health reasons. 

Mentioning the Adivasis' concern, the former Chief Minister said, "Today, Bangladeshi infiltration has become a big problem in Santhal Pargana, the holy land of Baba Tilka Manjhi and Sido-Kanhu. 

What can be more unfortunate than the fact that these infiltrators are occupying the lands of the descendants of those heroes who never accepted the slavery of the foreign British in the fight for water, forest, and land. Because of them, the dignity of our mothers, sisters, and daughters who consider brave women like Phool-Jhano as their ideal is in danger". "Only BJP seems serious on this issue and other parties are ignoring it for the sake of votes. 

Therefore, in this struggle to save the identity and existence of the Adivasis, I have decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressing faith in the leadership of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he added.