Jharkhand Elections 2024: Do you remember what happened during the Surat Lok Sabha elections? The proposer of the Congress candidate withdrew, resulting in the candidature of the party candidate being disqualified. Other candidates in the race withdrew their nominations and the BJP candidate was selected unopposed. There was a similar scare among Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. According to the Indian Express, there is speculation that Soren’s proposer, Mandal Murmu, is in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party and may jump ship.
This sent shivers down the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) spine as it meant danger for Soren’s candidature. This set off a chain of reactions that saw Mandal Murmu’s vehicle not only chased away on Sunday, October 27, but he was also briefly “detained”. Murmu was reportedly briefly detained along with two other BJP leaders and taken to Dumri police station.
However, the matter even reached Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who later arrested the Jharkhand chief secretary and deputy attorney general over the matter. CEC Kumar stressed that the Model Code of Conduct was not followed in the incident.
But why has Murmu become so important to the BJP and the RJP? He comes from a tribe believed to be descended from Sidho-Kanhu, the hero of the 1855 Santal Rebellion against the British. Another reason for JMM’s concern is that the BJP is yet to announce a candidate for the Barhait seat from which Soren is contesting. A day later on Monday, the BJP named Gamliyel Hembrom as Soren’s challenger.
JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed that Madal Murmu was taken away by some unknown persons. However, Murmu rejected this and said that just because he was the suitor, it didn’t mean he couldn’t meet other people.
Social media posts by BJP’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey have contributed to the mystery. “Hemant Soren ji arrested Mandal Murmu ji, a descendant of Sidhu Kano, at Dumri police station. ECI should take note of this. Family members of the hero of the Khul revolution that overthrew British rule in 1855 are coming to Ranchi for talks. BJP leaders will crack down on Bangladeshi infiltrators,” Dubey said.
Meanwhile, a political battle has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue, with both sides accusing the other of wrongdoing.