J'khand polls to decide if B'deshi infiltrators will stay or be expelled: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Koderma (Jharkhand): Assam Chief Minister and Jharkhand BJP election co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma has mounted attack on the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand over Bangladeshi infiltration, claiming the coalition relies on the infiltrators for votes.

At an election rally in support of BJP candidate Neera Yadav in Markacho, Koderma here on Friday, Sarma said that there is no district in Jharkhand free of Bangladeshi infiltrators, who he said have become a core vote bank for the JMM, Congress, and the RJD.

He urged Hindu voters to unite, warning that a lack of action would embolden these groups.

Sarma emphasised that the election will determine if infiltrators will stay or be expelled. "As soon as the BJP forms the government, we will use the law to expel them," he vowed, adding, “Jharkhand was created not for infiltrators but to protect the rights of locals.”

He further criticised past state administrations, attributing issues like sand mafias and corruption to leaders such as Alamgir Alam and Irfan Ansari.

In his speech, Sarma accused Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren of dishonesty, labeling him the "nation’s leading liar."

Referring to the promises Hemant Soren allegedly made such as providing daughters with gold coins or cash for marriage and offering women an annual stipend of Rs 72,000, Sarma said they were never fulfilled. He also hit out at the Chief Minister for stopping old-age pensions.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Defence and Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth called for an investigation into Chief Minister Soren’s election affidavits, accusing him of age-related discrepancies. Seth alleged that in 2019 Soren declared his age as 42, while in 2024, he reported it as 49, an inconsistency Seth claimed could indicate fraud against the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has requested the Election Commission to allow leave to government employees for upcoming festivals, including Bhaiya Dooj, Sohrai, and Chhath. He said that these are important cultural and religious events, and the refusal of leave by the district administration due to elections and the Prime Minister’s visit has caused discontent among employees.

Jharkhand will go to elections for its 81 Assembly seats on November 13 and 20. The nomination and withdrawal processes for both phases are already over, and authorities have instructed government personnel to remain at headquarters on duty.