Much at stake for the BJP in Jharkhand
New Delhi,December 18(HS) The Bharatiya Janata Party had made a new experiment a few years ago which is on test once again. Jharkhand was the third state where the party had selected a non-dominant caste or group leader to head.Elections are being held in that state which will conclude on Friday.The result to be announced on Monday will indicate whether the party has passed the test or not in that state.
The purpose was to begin a new kind of politics.Caste or group played a major part in elections in the past.Leaders were chosen from the dominant castes.The party wanted to end the practice.This experiment has been already tested in Haryana and Maharashtra, the two other states.
In tune with the decision,Raghubar Das, a non-tribal,became the chief minister of the tribal-dominated state of Jharkhand.
He provided a stable government which completed its five-year term with ease.It was for the first time since the formation of the state in 2000 that a government lasted five years. BJP has fired all cylinders to ensure that there was no action replay of Haryana and Maharashtra in Jharkhand where five-phase Assembly election had begun on November 30.
The mood is upbeat in the party because of providing a stable government.Chief minister Raghubar Das and other party leaders hope in this light that the BJP would do much better in this poll than the previous one.Some of them have already claimed that it would get 65 of the total 81 elective seats.
Eight governments were formed since existence before the present one which clearly indicated that Jharkhand needed political stability more than many other states. Das provided it which has kept him in good stead.
The Congress and the JMM are the other major political players in the state.The two and the RJD have come together to defeat the BJP which is fighting alone.All Jharkhand Students Union which had allied in 2014 has parted company.
The first Assembly election was held in Jharkhand in 2005 in which the BJP had vote-share of nearly 24 per cent .The share increased to 31 per cent in the previous poll( 2014).It showed that many tribals also voted for the party.The tribals account for 24 per cent of the population.
The JMM came second.The Congress held the third position with 12 per cent share in 2005.The Congress share increased to 16 per cent in the next poll only to fall to 11 per cent in 2014.
The voter turnout increased by ten per cent ( to 66.42 per cent) in 2014 Assembly poll .If the BJP wins again it will be much ahead of its main rival,the JMM. The latter has formed government four times as against five by the BJP.The state has been under President’s rule thrice.
If voters favour the BJP again it will suggest that they have liked the party’s decision to go for a non-dominant caste or group member.In two other states where the new formula was tried have not achieved one hundred per cent success.In both Haryana and Maharashtra it was the largest party but could not secure a majority.
The result was that had to seek support of a regional party in Haryana to form a government.It was not its ally before the Assembly elections.
In Maharashtra there was a different scenario.The party which had formed an alliance on the eve of elections(Shiv Sena) joined hands with two non-allies to remain in power.
The people had not given the mandate for it but this is what has been done in that state. Whether they have liked it or not will be known only when elections are held again.For the moment it is a failed move.
If the same thing happens in Jharkhand and the party does not secure a majority in it will have to rethink.It may go back to the old and tested formula.
