Jharkhand: A test of tribal allegiance amid polarising campaigns

As the first phase of Jharkhand’s assembly elections kicks off tomorrow, the contest over the state’s tribal belt has become a focal point of political discourse, strategy and rhetoric.

The rhetorical battle also extends to how the history of the state and its culture is read, for JMM's Hemant Soren is but the last in a long line of Jharkhand chief ministers to foreground his tribal identity (indeed, all but one of the state's chief ministers has come from a tribal community).

Covering 43 out of the total 81 seats, this first phase of polls in Jharkhand includes 20 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates and 6 for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. Collectively, they constitute the balance of power in a state where tribal issues and identity are of paramount importance.

In the last election, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) emerged as the largest force, winning 17 of these seats, followed by the BJP with 13 and the Congress with 8.

However, the stakes are higher for the JMM this time, as the party’s popularity among tribal communities is challenged by a resurgent BJP, which has injected new issues into the campaign to broaden its support base.

The JMM, led by chief minister Hemant Soren, has long been seen as the defender of tribal rights and welfare in Jharkhand.

Soren’s campaign, therefore, has largely focused on his government’s work in tribal welfare schemes, including land rights initiatives and social welfare policies that are popular among rural communities. Soren is banking on this record to replicate, if not expand, his party’s hold on the tribal belt.

However, the JMM — this time also working in alliance with the Congress — faces the challenge of an increasingly assertive BJP, which has introduced polarising issues to try and sway voters. The BJP’s campaign, centred on the alleged threats of ‘land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’, aims to leverage cultural anxieties among tribal voters.

PM Narendra Modi’s recent comments in Chaibasa, where he warned of Muslims allegedly "taking away land, livelihood and daughters”, underscore the BJP's strategy.

The rhetoric around ‘land jihad’, which plays on fears of land encroachment by non-tribal communities, directly targets tribal concerns over land rights and identity.

The BJP’s attempt to expand its tribal appeal also hinges on prominent defections from the JMM.

Former chief minister and influential tribal leader Champai Soren, who shifted allegiance to the BJP after disagreements with Hemant Soren, is now contesting from Seraikella. The BJP hopes that his local influence will draw tribal support.

The BJP has also put forth other candidates with established ties to Jharkhand’s political legacy.

In Jamshedpur East, the Congress’ Ajoy Kumar faces BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu, who brings her own influence as the daughter-in-law of Odisha governor Raghubar Das, a former BJP stalwart and Jharkhand CM.

These candidates are expected to appeal to tribal voters not only through identity politics, but also by stirring up concerns around religion, migration and economic pressures.

This phase of the polls includes seats with a significant symbolic weight as well as demographic — Seraikella, Ranchi, Jamshedpur West, Jamshedpur East and Jagannathpur.

In Ranchi, the JMM has nominated sitting Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, a seasoned politician who is anticipated to attract a strong tribal vote.

In Jamshedpur West, Congress health minister Banna Gupta is in a tight race with JD(U) leader Saryu Roy, known for his high-profile 2019 win over then-chief minister Raghubar Das of the BJP.

The competition in Jagannathpur is also noteworthy, with BJP’s Geeta Koda, wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda, up against Congress leader Sona Ram Sinku, creating a face-off that embodies the interplay of familial and political allegiances within Jharkhand’s tribal landscape.

The upcoming election will certainly serve as a litmus test for tribal allegiances amid the divisive and identity-focused campaigns.

While Soren and the JMM bank on their record of welfare policies, the BJP’s foray into the tribal belt relies on reshaping local narratives around security and cultural identity, aided by an infusion of ‘outsider’ issues that resonate with their jingoistic nationalism.

The broader coalition dynamics also reflect this contrast.

While Soren’s camp highlights issues of tribal welfare and resistance to alleged harassment by central agencies, the BJP-led NDA has leaned on themes of ‘infiltration, corruption and scams’, framing its opposition as corrupt and out of touch with nationalistic aspirations.