BJP, AJSU Party do politics of "fear and intimidation": Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren alleged that BJP and AJSU Party only love power and they do not have any concern for the people of the state.

Addressing an election rally for JMM candidate Bebi Devi in Dumri in Giridih district, Soren on Thursday alleged that the BJP and AJSU Party only know the politics of "fear and intimidation".

"Their only work is to divide and rule. They bake their political bread by making people fight with each other. They do not have any concern for the people of Jharkhand. They only love power," Soren said.

BJP-AJSU ruled Jharkhand for 20 years. They also ran a double-engine government in the state. "They carried out the governance in such a way that Jharkhand was made the most backward state of the country. They systematically worked to hollow out this state," he alleged.

In a veiled attack at the Centre, Soren alleged that when he asked for the state's Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues for the poor and needy people of the tribal state. "At first, they started making excuses. When showed documents, they started putting ED and CBI behind me to put me in jail.... " Soren said.

The ED had last week sent a notice to Soren to depose on August 14 at the federal agency's office in Ranchi in connection with its probe into an alleged defence land scam. The CM, however, did not appear before the central agency, citing pre-scheduled events.

Ruling JMM's Bebi Devi and AJSU Party's Yashoda Devi on Thursday filed their nomination papers as INDIA bloc and NDA candidates respectively for the September 5 by-election to the Dumri assembly. AIMIM's candidate Maulana Abdul Mobin Rizwi also filed his nomination on Thursday.

Seeking votes for the JMM candidate, the CM said, "Bebi Devi ji and Jharkhand government will work to fulfill the dreams and incomplete work of late Jagarnath Mahto, who became immortal through his service to the people.".

He said that the dedication and commitment that Mahto had towards the people of his constituency are rarely seen.

Appealing to the voters of Dumri, Soren said, "Pressing the button on bow and arrow symbol and making Bebi ji victorious in the by-election will be a true tribute to late Mahto ji.".

The bypoll to the Dumri assembly seat will take place on September 5, while the votes will be counted on September 8. The last date for filing nominations was August 17. The by-election was necessitated after the death of Jagarnath Mahto in a Chennai hospital on April 6 this year after a prolonged illness.