PESA push for BJP but at Sadans’ cost
October 24, 2010

VIJAY DEO JHA /VINOD PRASAD | RANCHI / LOHARDAGA

The restive lungs in the BJP will have a sure cause to grab credit in coming days if Panchayat elections are conducted under PESA Act, but at this immediate point it is merely whispering in fear about the degree of collateral damage which is built in the framework of this election.

This collateral damage is widely predicted in the form of simmering anger of Sadans (non-tribal) against the BJP and the core constituents of the party who are not happy with the reservation policy opted under PESA. Even party insiders termed it a matter of great concern since Sadans accounts around 70 per cent of the total population of Jharkhand.

“Irrespective of a party in the government; the state government is duty bound to conduct election under Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area Act (PESA) following the order of the Supreme Court. It is not a political decision,” a senior party leader in Ranchi said.

Two immediate micro level developments in the past four days went unreported. Around 100 Sadans in Lohardaga district have taken pledge to turn heat upon BJP and party Chief Minister Arjun Munda in the electoral field. The call for this boomed from one of the Muslim dominated villages; Narinawadih under Kisko block.

“We will campaign against Munda for his anti-Sadan stand in the constituency he chooses to fight anywhere in Jharkhand. The legitimate political and constitutional rights of Sadans have been ignored in the framework of Panchayat election,” Kuddus Ansari of Sadan Vikash Parishad. The Parishad has still to emerge as a collective and dominant force to rattle the BJP and Munda.

The second is definitely not the music for the BJP. Party office bearers of Varno block under Gumla district resigned in block from the party post to protest elections under Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area Act (PESA) which they pleaded as subversive to the interest of Sadans.

Before and after Panchayat elections scheduled were announced the party office this week, has filled with cascade of complaints, suggestions and the damage the party may suffer if due steps are not taken to placate Sadans.

These are attached with due references of dismal election results of party in Sadan dominated areas like Lohardaga, Gumla and others in the past assembly polls. State party seniors will probably sit on coming Tuesday to take on this critical issue and panchayat elections as well.

“A meeting has specially been called on Tuesday in Ranchi to discuss Panchayat polls in Jharkhand and the strategy of the party therein.” Newly appointed state BJP president Dineshananda Goswami said equally attempting to downplay the Verno episode ever mirrors dominant feeling of Sadan party workers.

“As party workers we are supporting Panchayat elections even after majority of seats have been kept reserved for the tribal population even those with zero tribal population. There is no effort; political or otherwise; and Sadans are getting alienated from the BJP,” a senior BJP leader in Lohardaga said. Similar sentiment was echoed by one Gumla BJP leader who said that the complaints of Sadan will get more deep-seated after elections. The Congress is secretly laughing over BJP’s stutter. The Congress has started a whispering campaign against BJP among Sadans. “Which way to counter it we do not know,” a party leader said.