Congratulations to the people of Jharkhand for rejecting the communal tactics of the RSS-BJP!

We congratulate the people of Jharkhand for the mandate against the BJP. The Jharkhand election results mark an important resurgence of local state issues over the hyper-nationalist, inefficient and divisive politics of the BJP-RSS. The people of Jharkhand have rejected the BJP’s politics of hatred and communalism. The BJP was handed this defeat despite its aggressive campaign led by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath and CM Raghubar Das who were hoping to ride to victory on a Ram Temple and Article 370 wave. The ruling BJP has been reduced to just 25 seats, as opposed to its pre-election slogan of “65 par” (65+ seats). The mandate against BJP is a reflection of the anti-people policies of the BJP government at the Centre and in the state. After Maharashtra and Haryana, Jharkhand joins the list of states where the BJP failed to repeat its earlier electoral performances. Despite NDA coming to power for the second term at the Centre, people in State Elections are voting for anti-BJP alternatives.

The Jharkhand Elections were taking place at a time when the state had witnessed more than 20 cases of mob lynchings in the tenure of the Raghubar Das led BJP Govt in the past five years. We still can’t forget those disturbing visuals of Tabrez Ansari, a 24-year old man who was murdered by a lynch mob in Jharkhand’s Saraikela-Kharsawan. The BJP tried its best to make it a highly polarised election by echoing Ram Temple and abrogation of Article 370, but all in vain. There was massive dissatisfaction among tribals as well as non-tribals over the anti-people policies of the Raghubar Govt. The amendments in the Chottanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act (SPT) was the trigger point in 2016 which turned the adivasis of the state against the ruling Govt. The sedition cases against Pathalgadi and Adivasi movement activists exposed the anti-adivasi character of the BJP Govt. Unemployment among the youth and failure of the BJP government to conduct state examinations also played a crucial role in drawing ire from young voters. Even the sitting Chief Minister could not manage to protect his citadel of Jamshedpur East and lost to BJP rebel and former cabinet colleague Saryu Roy who contested as an independent candidate. It was an election marked by rampant communal speeches by BJP campaigners. In a rally while campaigning for BJP candidate Birendra Mandal in Jharkhand’s Jamatara, Yogi Adityanath had said, “koi Irfan Ansari jitega to Mandir to nahi hi banayegana. Iske liye to koi Birendra Mandal chaiyena.”(If some Irfan Ansari wins he won’t construct Temple. For Temple you need Birendra Mandal.) Now that results are out, people of Jamatara rejected the communal incitement and defeated Birendra Mandal of BJP by more than 38,000 votes, electing Irfan Ansari of INC.

The Jharkhand results signal rejection of politics of communal hatred and disillusionment with the political model promoted by BJP-RSS. Comrade Vinod Singh of CPI-ML (Liberation) won the Bagodar seat by defeating sitting BJP MLA Nagendra Mahto by more than 15,000 votes, a glimmer of hope in these dark times. The Jharkhand results are out at a time when there are mass protests going on all across the country against the communal-fascist-undemocratic Citizenship Amendment Act and proposed National Register of Citizens of India. The CAA-NRC is seen as an unprecedented attack on the Secular-Democratic character of the Indian Republic. Upholding the spirit of Constitution, Comrade Vinod Singh will bring a resolution in the Jharkhand Assembly that the National Population Register (NPR), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) should not be implemented in the State, an issue which he consistently raised during his election campaign. The people of Bagodar have rejected the communal CAA-NRC-NPR. Comrade Vinod Singh has been a forefront voice of the migrant workers of Jharkhand. He is committed to taking this task forward. The CPI-ML is committed to the fulfilment of the long-pending demands all contract workers, including para teachers, who were at receiving end of brutal suppression during the regime of the Raghubar government for demanding their rights. Vinod Singh has been a strong voice of opposition both on streets and in the Assembly. In coming days, CPI-ML under Vinod Singh will strengthen the struggle for Jal-Jangal-Jameen, against corporate loot and against communal-fascist forces!

Hul Johar to people of Jharkhand for rejecting the BJP and showing us the way forward; hoping for continued people’s resistance!

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