How Hemant Soren is banking on tribal sympathy

In Jharkhand, the ruling coalition led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is banking on tribal sympathy in response to former Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s arrest, hoping it will trigger a backlash against the BJP in upcoming elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Chatra district on May 11, criticized the JMM, Congress, and their allies for corruption, referencing over Rs 32 crore in unaccounted cash allegedly found in a flat linked to a domestic help of a Jharkhand officer. This officer, Sanjeev Lal, is the personal secretary to the state’s rural development minister, Alamgir Alam, who was arrested on May 15. Modi's remarks highlighted the BJP's narrative of "rising corruption" under the JMM-Congress-RJD government since 2019. \r

Jharkhand votes in multiple phases on May 13, 20, 25, and June 1. The BJP, aiming to capitalize on allegations of corruption, previously secured 11 of 14 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, with ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) winning one. This year, BJP contests 13 seats, leaving one for AJSU. The opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has the Congress contesting seven seats, JMM five, and RJD and CPI-ML one each. The outcome could be influenced by tribal support amidst the corruption allegations and Soren's arrest.