Desk Correspondent , Rachi – Just three days before the announcement of polling dates in Assam on March 12, a meeting took place. In this meeting Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, the state’s party in-charge Jitendra Singh met Jharkhand chief minister and president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Hemant Soren at Rachi. The speculations are of seat sharing alliance between the parties. This will be the first election campaign of JMM outside the state of Jharkhand. 

The tea-tribes in Assam, also known as Adivasis, comprise approximate 17% of the population and influences outcome of 35-40 out of the 126 assembly constituencies. Brought by British planters from Jharkhand’s Chotanagpur region in the 19th and 20th centuries, they remain one of the most marginalised groups of the state despite their numbers. Soren has been campaigning since Saturday, addressing rallies in Gossaigaon, Sonari and Tingkhong, urging voters to fight for their rights still unmet by the elective governments. A large-numbers-of-people of this community traditionally were Congress voters, but the BJP has made inroads since 2016 with welfare schemes, though core demands remain unfulfilled.

JMM’s move may be beneficial for the Congress-led alliance in the long run by cutting into BJP support. Although senior Congress leader Pawan Singh Ghatowar doubts the newcomers will win seats. BJP spokesperson Kishore Upadhyay countered that the state government has improved living conditions and promised ST status in due course. By stating that the tea-tribe community has been deprived of their rights, JMM is blaming their Jharkhand ally Congress which ruled Assam for decades. The present BJP Government in Assam has done a lot to improve the lot of the community and they will also get ST status in due course. People from the community know that and will vote for BJP in large numbers this time,” said Upadhyay. Soren is scheduled to hold over a dozen more rallies by April 5, positioning JMM as the voice of the community’s ancestral roots.