As political activity intensifies ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has added a new dimension to the state’s political landscape by reaching out to tea tribe and Adivasi communities during his visit to Assam.
Addressing a gathering of tea tribe and Adivasi communities, Soren raised the slogan “Abua Dishum, Abua Raj” (Our land, our rule), highlighting issues such as land rights, political representation and empowerment of indigenous tribal communities. He also indicated that his party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), may enter Assam’s political arena.
Soren’s visit has drawn attention at a time when the BJP government in Assam, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been taking several steps aimed at attracting the support of tea garden communities, including granting land pattas and increasing daily wages for tea workers.
Soon after Soren’s visit, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi met the Jharkhand Chief Minister in what is seen as an effort to consolidate anti-BJP votes in the tea garden belt. The meeting was also attended by AICC in-charge for Assam Jitendra Singh and Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju.
During his Assam tour, Soren also attended a public meeting organised by the newly formed Jai Bharat Party in the Mizika area of Biswanath district. He later participated in an iftar gathering as well.
According to Teharu Gaur, central president of the Jai Bharat Party, the party is planning to form an alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the upcoming elections. The proposed alliance may field candidates in around 40 seats in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly.
Speaking during his visit to Jharkhand, Gogoi said, “The Chief Minister of Jharkhand has already visited Assam and we had a courtesy meeting with him. It would not be appropriate to say anything more at this stage. Our views will be shared after a formal discussion.”
Gogoi added that his visit to Jharkhand is part of the Congress party’s efforts to strengthen its strategy ahead of the Assam Assembly elections by learning from the organisational experience of Jharkhand Congress leaders.
Meanwhile, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has appointed Bandhu Tirkey as a senior observer for Assam. Tirkey has reportedly toured various districts in the state to understand the concerns and issues faced by the people.
