BJP had looted Jharkhand for 20 years: CM Hemant Soren

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 17 (ANI): Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the party had “looted” the state for over 20 years.

“In December 2019, with the blessings of the great people of Jharkhand, I took over the reins of the state. My sole purpose was to irrigate the tree of Jharkhand and strengthen its roots. The BJP had looted this tree with both hands for 20 years. It had dried it up,” said Soren in a post on X.

He also highlighted completing 100 days of being out of jail and taking charge as CM again.

“Today marks 100 days since he returned from jail and took charge of the state. Also, yesterday the Election Commission announced assembly elections in Jharkhand,” he said on Wednesday.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) further criticised the BJP and claimed that for 20 years, the party had tried to keep the people deprived of basic things like education and employment.

“Our poor, deprived and exploited people yearned for basic needs like social security, our tribals, Dalits, backward and minorities yearned for their lost identity, the children of our state yearned for good education, our promising youths yearned for jobs and employment, our hardworking farmers were crushed under the burden of debt, our mothers and sisters yearned for honour and self-respect, our labourer brothers and sisters yearned for their identity, our water, forest and land yearned for their identity,” the post added.

The CM also highlighted the work done by the JMM government to uplift the people through schemes such as Maiya Samman Yojana, Phool Jhano Ashirwad Abhiyan, Savitribai Phule Kishori Samridhi Yojana and the honorarium of Rs 2,500 per month for women, which will be implemented in December.

Meanwhile, the CM’s wife and Jharkhand MLA Kalpana Murmu Soren also said that with the elections announced on Tuesday, the battle is to “save Jharkhand and Jharkhandi identity.”

Releasing her video in a post on X on Wednesday, she said that the battle is between two sides, one side with money and power, and another side fighting for rights.

“The election bugle has been sounded and this time the battle is to save Jharkhand and Jharkhandi identity. On one side there are those who dream of power with the help of money power, and on the other side there are us – who are fighting for the rights, dignity and future of the people of Jharkhand,” the X post added.

Election Commission of India had announced the schedule for Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly election on Tuesday.

The 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly is going to elections November 13 and 20 while Maharashtra will go in for a single-phase election on November 20, the ECI said.

Votes will be counted in the two states on November 23.

A total of 2.60 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in Jharkhand and there are 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters. The state has 11.84 lakh first-time voters.