Political History of Jharkhand – Will it get a Clear Verdict this time?

By Deepak Parvatiyar

October 29, 2014

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As the mineral storehouse of the country – with almost 40 per cent mineral reserves – Jharkhand could have been an economic powerhouse.  Yet, since its inception in 2000, the state still craves for stability – both financial as well as political. The result: Jharkhand has emerged as a hot naxal belt with 22 of its 24 districts affected by naxal insurgency !

It has been turbulence all the way and the state has already seen nine governments in 13 years of its existence as a state with 24 per cent tribal population and tribal Chief Ministers (All five CMs of the state have been tribal).

Stability and Development : Two Important Election Issues in 2014 Jharkhand Assembly Polls

Obviously, stability and development are the two most important issues at a time when the state goes to election for its 81-member house in five phases on November 25 and December 2, 9, 14 and 20.

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• Jharkhand Assembly Elections

While counting is scheduled on December 23, the question in everyone’s mind is that can the state get a stable government?

The present ruling coalition led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is the third government in the same house that was constituted following a fractured mandate in the 2009 state assembly elections. Hemant Soren has been the fifth chief minister of the state after Babulal Marandi(once), Arjun Munda (thrice), Shibu Soren(thrice) and Madhu Koda (once) since the state was created on November 15, 2000. It is worth pointing out that Madhu Koda, actually made history by becoming the only Independent member of an elected House to become the chief minister of the state in 2006!

Fractured Mandates have Tormented Jharkhand

Fractured mandates in 2004 and 2009 have largely been responsible for political instability in the state. The reasons for such fractured mandates could be the fact that both the national parties – the Congress and the BJP – have been reduced to faction-driven outfits in the state – that does not inspire the confidence of the voters in them. The faction-wars also led prominent members such as the state’s first CM Babulal Marandi to quit the BJP to float his own Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (JVM). His regional party along with Sudesh Mahto-led AJSU party and Shibu Soren-led JMM do have their strong base in the state and this fact also has contributed to the fractured mandates in the state elections.
Little surprise therefore that this time again, barring the BJP, which plans to go all alone after its stupendous success in Maharashtra and Haryana, other political parties are again huddling for alliance opportunities. Facing the anti-incumbency factor, the JMM is reported to be articulating pre-poll alliances with the Congress as well as Lalu Yadav’s RJD to stop the BJP juggernaut. Talks of a pact between the Congress, JVM, RJD and RJD are also being speculated.

The irony is that the BJP ruled the state for the longest period and could not be insulated from political opportunism. It cobbled up alliances to rule, and like in Haryana in the past, it amply demonstrated in Jharkhand too that it never let political untouchability and ideological differences hamper its prospects of forming governments. It made and broke alliances with almost all regional political parties to remain in power on different occasions – the Janata Dal (United), All Jharkhand Students’ Union, JMM and independent MLAs.

Making and Breaking Alliances has been a norm in Jharkhand

Just before the present JMM-led United Progressive Alliance government came into power in the state, the JMM was a BJP ally.   First the BJP supported the Shibu Soren-led alliance in the state only to pull out of it on May 24, 2010 when the JMM chief voted along with the UPA in a cut motion in Parliament that year much to the dismay of the BJP-led Opposition. This had resulted in imposition of the Central rule in the state. Thereafter, on September 11, 2010, both the parties climbed down from their tough stance against each other and the JMM extended support to the BJP to end the President’s rule. Yet, even this truce was short-lived as the JMM cried foul and withdrew its support, alleging that the BJP had breached its promise of having the CM by rotation. The state yet again came under President’s rule till the JMM took the Congress’s support to form the government under Shibu’s son, Hemant. Incidentally, the latter was a deputy CM in the BJP-led government till the two parted ways!

This time though, the BJP’s confidence stems from its performance in the last General Elections where it won 12 of the 14 seats from the state. In the process, it polled 40.1 per cent of the total 65.1 per cent votes polled  as against the Congress’s 13.3 per cent and the ruling JMM’s 12.1 per cent.( The ruling United Progressive Alliance in the state comprising the JMM, the Congress and the RJD  had collectively got just 23.64% of the votes). In the process, the BJP led in 56 assembly segments and was second in 23 such seats in the last general elections. The Congress had failed even to open its account as its lone MP Subodh Kant Sahay lost the election from Ranchi.

Obviously, Assembly election verdicts are a different ball-game but the BJP has reasons to bank on them given the favourable verdicts to the party in the recently concluded state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Unlike the other national party – the Congress – which faces a leadership crisis in Jharkhand, the BJP seems to be always grappled with the problem of the plenty. While Marandi parted ways with the party long back, it still reportedly faces an intense faction war between its three-time CM Arjun Munda and party’s national vice president and former deputy CM Raghubar Das, to wrest control of the party and stake their respective claims on the CM’s chair in case the party forms the next government.

Obviously, unlike others, stakes are much higher for the BJP in Jharkhand too.

Box:

•   In the Lok Sabha elections of 2004, the Congress led UPA alliance won 13 of Jharkhand's 14 seats while the BJP, which was ruling the state then, could win just one seat!
•   In the subsequent assembly elections held just after eight months of the general elections, the results were reversed as the BJP won 30 of the 81 seats and the party led National Democratic Alliance emerged as the single largest alliance with 36 assembly seats in its kitty. The BJP’s 30 seats by itself were higher than the combined tally of the Congress and the JMM then!
•   In 2009 general elections too, while the BJP won eight of the 14 parliament seats in Jharkhand, in the subsequent assembly elections just about six months later, it could win only 18 of the 812 seats – same as the JMM.