The exemption of tribals from the Uniform Civil Code, “putting a full stop” to the alleged “infiltration” in Jharkhand, checking illegal mining, and welfare schemes. As Amit Shah released the BJP manifesto for Jharkhand on Sunday, he addressed issues that were local and also had a bearing on national politics. But the message was clear: outreach for the tribal vote.

The alleged infiltration in the Santhal Parganas region of Jharkhand has been one of the central BJP planks ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly polls. On Sunday, Shah doubled down on it and said the BJP will take concrete steps to “stop illegal Bangladeshi infiltration in Jharkhand” and protect the rights of tribal communities by putting a “full stop to illegal infiltration”.

The BJP also promised “a stringent law” to take back “tribal land from infiltrators”. Shah also said that the BJP will ensure that “children of intruders who marry tribal women are not given tribal status”. This, he said, would benefit “future generations of tribal communities” who could take “real benefit of their rights”.

The BJP has attempted to create a “tribals versus infiltrators” narrative in Jharkhand an attempt to consolidate itself among Adivasi communities, especially in the electorally crucial Santhal Pargana division. The BJP hopes this will pay dividends in the division, which has 18 seats. The BJP has been levelling allegations of land grabbing by Bangladeshi “infiltrators” in the area. The JMM has denied the allegations, with the party asking how infiltration is occurring, if at all. In an affidavit dated September 12, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said there had been “no linkages of Bangladeshi immigrants in land-related cases”. In the 2019 polls, the JMM won 14 seats here, while BJP won the remaining four.

Shah emphasised that tribal communities would be kept out of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), sending another signal to the community. He announced that once in power, the party would bring in UCC in Jharkhand.

The Union Home Minister also said the party would operationalise the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA). PESA rules are important for tribal self-governance, with power devolved to the gram sabhas and panchayats falling under Schedule V of the Constitution.

The rules ensure that laws made in the state are in conformity with the customary laws and social and religious practices of areas under Scheduled V districts. Under PESA rules, the gram sabhas will have a say on the management of major minerals such as coal and other resources.

The Union Home Minister also said the party will make a plea to quash the cases registered by the Forest Department against tribals and Dalits.

The BJP manifesto also promises a mandatory independent audit every six months of District Mineral Foundation funds to bring transparency and accountability to mining activities.

Shah said the party would curb illegal mining in the state, especially illegal sand mining, and give the panchayats the right to extract sand from sand ghats. This assumes importance with the locals and the National Green Tribunal raising red flags about the practice in the past.

Shah has promised fair and transparent recruitment for 2,87,500 government posts, adding that the BJP would start the recruitment process in its first Cabinet meeting if voted to power. The BJP said it will provide a “Yuva Saathi” allowance of Rs 2,000 per month for a period of two years to every graduate and postgraduate youth of Jharkhand who are struggling for jobs.

The BJP has said that it will complete the recruitment process for 1.5 lakh posts by November 2025 and added the party will create five lakh self-employment opportunities for the youth of Jharkhand within five years.

The BJP has promised the Gogo Didi Yojana under which financial assistance up to Rs 2,100 will be transferred to the bank account of every woman in Jharkhand monthly. The party said it will also launch Laxmi Johar Yojana under which BJP will provide LPG gas cylinders to all households at Rs 500, besides two free cylinders annually on Diwali and Raksha Bandhan.

In its manifesto, the party has also promised a Rs 2,5000 monthly pension for the elderly, widows and persons with disability to ensure “their financial and social security”.

Launching a direct attack on the Soren administration, the BJP said it “will end the widespread misgovernance” by implementing a “zero tolerance” policy against corruption. The BJP said it will launch an online application empowering citizens to directly lodge corruption-related complaints against public servants.

The manifesto has also promised the introduction of the Jharkhand Control of Organised Crime and Mafia Act “to tackle organised crime and eliminate criminal syndicates across the state”

To protect villages, the BJP said it will form a “Gram Raksha Dal” through local youths, who will also be given an honorarium by the government. The BJP added that it will set up an inquiry commission to look into “all high-profile scams” and ensure that “culprits are held accountable”.