Why BJP failed to win Jharkhand despite aggressive campaign

Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance throwing all its weight to snatch Jharkhand from the hands of a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-headed coalition, the saffron camp suffered a debacle leaving the party's rank and file wondering what had gone wrong.

IMAGE: Supporters celebrate as INDIA bloc leads in the Jharkhand assembly elections, in Ranchi on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Top BJP leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma canvassed aggressively, but the National Democratic Alliance did not project any CM candidate, as its campaigns mainly focused on “infiltration from Bangladesh” and “corruption” during the Hemant Soren regime.

About 200 rallies were addressed by BJP leaders including about two dozen by Shah and PM Modi who also held mega road shows including one in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi drawing huge crowds.

The NDA won just 24 of the 81 seats it contested.

The BJP contested in 68 seats and won 21. Its ally managed to get only one of the 10 seats it fought in the elections. In that constituency, Mandu, the party won by a slender margin of 231 votes.

BJP's two other allies, Janata Dal-United and LJP-Ram Vilas bagged two and one seats respectively.

Contradicting exit polls, Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha registered victory in 34 seats of the total 43 it contested.

A source in the state BJP claimed that failing to project a tribal CM's face in the polls cost it dearly.

Another leader claimed the entire show was run by “two leaders from outside” and the state BJP gave tickets to leaders who came from other parties, ignoring its own.

BJP's sitting legislator Kedar Hazra along with former minister Louis Marandi joined JMM accusing dejection by party leaders just ahead of the polls.

Political analyst Dr Bagish Chandra Verma told PTI that BJP failed to address issues linked to the masses during its entire campaign which was concentrated on national issues and ‘infiltration' which the rural people failed to connect.

Besides, Muslims, Christians and tribals which were the traditional vote bank of the JMM, women were added to its fold because of schemes like ‘Maiyan Samman Yojna' promising Rs 2,500 financial aid to women in the age group of 18-50 years from present Rs 1,000, said Verma, head of the department of political science at Ranchi University.

Women voters outnumbered men in 68 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha too played a spoilsport seizing a sizeable chunk of votes harming BJP and AJSU Party like in Chandankiyari where Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Amar Kumar Bauri not only lost to Umakant Rajak of JMM but could occupy only third spot. The JLKM won the Dumri seat