JMM criticises BJP for distracting from development in CM's age debate

Attacking the BJP for making the issue of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's age, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Friday said that the people of the BJP have become distracted as everything is "crystal clear."

JMM Rajya Sabha MP and candidate from Ranchi, Mahua Maji said that JMM will win the elections and form the government.

"BJP raises all kinds of issues. They do not want to fight the election on the issue of development. They try to stab you in the back, but they will not succeed. We will win and form the government here," Maji said.

JMM Leader Manoj Pandey suggested the BJP to not lose their "mental balance," adding that the people of the BJP have become distracted.

"We do not hide anything, nor do we try to hide anything. Everything is crystal clear. Documents are attached and it is verified... They are seeing a huge defeat in front of them, do not lose your mental balance, keep your political spirit, victory and defeat keep happening. The people of the BJP have become distracted. We are those people who do not hide information," Manoj Pandey said.

Jharkhand Minister Mithilesh Thakur said, "The mistake that the BJP candidate made in his nomination, the nomination should have been cancelled, but it did not happen, it needs to be understood why it was not cancelled, and as far as our Chief Minister is concerned, this is complete nonsense, there is not an iota of truth in it."

Earlier, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday said that JMM stands for 'Jhol, Muslim appeasement and Mafia'.

"JMM means 'Jhol, Muslim appeasement and Mafia'. The JMM govt which has set new standards of corruption is now doing corruption in affidavits also. Mr Hemant Soren has aged 7 years in the last 5 years. Similarly, they did corruption and scams," Shehzad Poonawalla said in a self-made video.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo targeted Hemant Soren, alleging discrepancies in his nomination papers.

"There are a lot of differences between CM Hemant Soren's nominations of 2021 and 2024...in 2021, CM was 45 years old and after 5 years, he became 49 years old, how is it possible? so many assets about which he had mentioned in his 2021 affidavit, have disappeared now," Deo told reporters in Ranchi.

The BJP has alleged that Hemant Soren's age increased by seven years in the last five years. Soren declared his age to be 42 in 2019, but this year, he mentioned in the affidavit that his age is 49.

As the Assembly election nears, the BJP has intensified its attack against Hemant Soren.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will contest from the Barhait Assembly constituency.

Elections for 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly will be conducted in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.