The BJP brought back Jharkhand’s first Chief Minister and state BJP president in 2020, months after its debacle in the Assembly elections. The party wanted someone like Marandi, one of the tallest Adivasi leaders in the state to help rebuild its organisation. Placed at the helm of the state unit in 2022, the coming Assembly elections are a litmus test for the former CM.

In an interview, Marandi talks about the BJP’s strategy to win back the trust of tribals, who the CM will be if it comes to power, and his party’s rivals Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress that are in power in the state. Excerpts:

We have announced many schemes for women. In fact, when the BJP was in power we worked for them. We have now announced that when our government is formed we will announce the launch of ‘Didi Gogo Yojana’ in our first cabinet. We will transfer Rs 2,100 to the bank accounts of the underprivileged women of Jharkhand every month. Second, we will give gas cylinders for Rs 500 every month to every household in Jharkhand and two free cylinders every year. Also, for any new property (land/flat/house ) to be owned by the women up to Rs 50 lakh, we will bring the registration deed amount back to Re 1. We will give 21 lakh houses to the poor, and we know that due to lack of housing, the women are the most affected.

It is because of the disinformation campaign that has been going on for many years. But no other party has honoured the tribals like the BJP did. I keep telling the people to remember what the Congress did to the long-term demand for a separate state for Adivasis in 55 years. In 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee fulfilled the BJP’s promise of carving out a separate state for tribals. Modi ji made Droupadi Murmu the first woman President. We have two tribal Chief Ministers in neighbouring states … What more do you need? We have given tributes and honoured Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

The way Hemant Soren violated tribal rights, no one else has done. They (JMM and Congress) do politics in the name of Adivasis … this will not work for long.

It was the result of a disinformation campaign.

Of the 24 years, the BJP was in power for 13 years and the remaining 11, others were there. It is almost the same. How can we be blamed? It was the BJP that built roads and brought electricity … Aur kya chahiye (what else is needed)? The work is in progress.

Once we win the election, the CM will be decided. There is no confusion among people … they know who will be the CM if the BJP comes to power.

Logon ke paas face bikul clear hai. Woh jante hain kaun mukhyamantri banega (People have clarity about the CM face. They know who will become the CM).”

I am just a karyakarta (worker).

Tell me one thing, in the 70-plus years of Independent India, who did politics of polarisation? If Hindus are getting polarised, why is there a problem?

You (Congress and allies) have been taking the Muslim votes, scaring them against the BJP. You still do it. If the BJP tries to consolidate the Hindu votes, you have a problem. We have to save the country. Why do you have so much pain when we try to keep the country united?

Where has the Congress shown such courage to make a tribal leader contest from a non-reserved seat? Only the BJP can honour tribals. The party has appointed a tribal CM in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Will the Congress dare to do so? The misleading campaign had a life of its own and it is no longer effective. We are fully confident we have countered them.

Is it a crime? The BJP is a party that has the guts to field a tribal leader in a general seat. Not just me, Sita Soren also is fighting from a non-tribal seat. The BJP is not a caste-based party and it fields its leaders from seats it can win in any part of the state. Hemant Soren had to make his wife contest from a non-tribal seat after making compromises. He had to send the sitting MLA to Rajya Sabha to get the seat vacated.

Those who steal or do wrong things should go to jail, right? You (JMM-led coalition) have a government here in this state.

If you can find any thieves, get them imprisoned. From 2004 to 2014, it was Manmohan Singh’s government — even at that, time all the scams that came out had exposed their leaders only. No BJP leader was caught. I am not naming any of them because there are too many. If they indulge in wrongdoings, they will be caught. Why will central agencies knock on Babulal Marandi’s doors?

I don’t know what it says or what it doesn’t want to say. But the issue is serious and one of our core issues. Jharkhand is affected by it and the state cannot ignore it.