Das set to be first non-tribal CM of Jharkhand

Oppositon says BJP has dishonoured tribals

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jharkhand legislative party head Raghuvar Das, accompanied by several party MLAs, on Friday met Governor Syed Ahmed to stake claim for a BJP-All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) coalition government.

Jharkhand People’s Party (JPP), a fringe political player, gave a call for a state-wide bandh on Sunday. It also asked mainstream political parties which have tribal leaders, like the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Jharkhand Vikas Party, to support the bandh call.

JPP Vice-President Surya Singh Besra said Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar as a separate state to fulfill the aspirations of the tribal people. He said the BJP had dishonoured tribals by declaring a non-tribal the CM.

Former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar also criticised the BJP for breaking the tradition. He said the BJP had sent a message that it had no trust in the tribal population. Kumar accused the BJP of sowing “disaffection” between tribals and non-tribals.

Jharkhand has a 32 per cent tribal population. All the previous nine CMs of the state, ever since the state was created in 2000 were tribals. The election result has also been viewed as the BJP failing to win any significant tribal votes. It has emerged as the single largest party with 37 seats and on Friday staked claim to form a coalition government with its pre-poll ally, AJSU, which won five seats. The majority mark is 41 in the 81-member Assembly.

After meeting the governor, Das said the oath-taking ceremony has been scheduled for Sunday.