BJP Intensifies Preparation for Jharkhand Assembly Elections
After the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand, the BJP has aggressively started preparing for the Vidhan Sabha elections. The national leadership of BJP has appointed former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and current Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the election in-charge for the state, while established Hindu nationalist leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been appointed as the co-in-charge. Both these leaders face the challenge of maintaining the lead gained in the Lok Sabha elections.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Appointed as Election In-Charge
Both leaders campaigned extensively in Jharkhand during the Lok Sabha elections. Shivraj Singh Chouhan conducted youth rallies in Ranchi and rallies in Godda-Mahagama, while Sarma campaigned aggressively in Dhanbad. BJP and AJSU gained an edge on 50 seats in the Vidhan Sabha, including five reserved for tribal communities, despite losing all five reserved Lok Sabha seats.
Challenges Ahead
Shivraj Singh Chouhan is considered an election management expert, having led BJP to victory in Madhya Pradesh for over 20 years. He is known for his calm and composed image and is skilled in uniting party workers at the booth level. The BJP leaders also discussed the Madhya Pradesh formula during the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is known for being an aggressive leader with good organizational skills. Local BJP leaders believe that this duo will bring new energy to the party.
Upcoming Challenges
In 2019, BJP failed to open an account in the Kolhan region and did not win any reserved seats for the Santal tribe. This time, the challenge is to connect with the alienated tribal population. In the previous Vidhan Sabha elections, BJP suffered losses on 11 seats due to the seat-sharing issue with AJSU. This time, the challenge will be to handle the seat-sharing with AJSU and the traditional Kurmi vote bank, which affected the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha. The sympathy wave for former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who went to jail, is also a challenge that Shivraj and Himanta will have to face.
झारखंड में लोकसभा चुनाव के बाद भाजपा ने विधानसभा चुनाव की तैयारियों में आक्रामक तरीके से जुट गई है। भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय नेतृत्व ने मध्यप्रदेश के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री और केंद्रीय कृषि मंत्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान को प्रदेश चुनाव प्रभारी बनाया है, जबकि असम के मुख्यमंत्री हिमंता विश्व सरमा को प्रदेश चुनाव सह प्रभारी बनाया गया है। दोनों प्रभारियों को लोकसभा चुनाव में मिली बढ़त को बरकरार रखने की चुनौती है। चुनौतियों में से एक है कोल्हान और तोरपा के जनजातीय आबादी को भाजपा से जोड़ने की है। अतिरिक्त चुनौतियां भी शिवराज-हिमंता के सामने हैं।
