Ranchi (Jharkhand): Babulal Marandi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's Regional News Co-ordinator Sachin Sharma discussed in detail all political issues including unemployment, tribal advisory committee and the row over the status of the Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand. On the performance of the Jharkhand government, Babulal Marandi said, that the state was completely dependent on the central government during the pandemic, adding that in a small state like Jharkhand there would be a shortage of resources.
"During the second phase of Corona there was an atmosphere of chaos, but there was no shortage of oxygen in the state. Oxygen was supplied across the country from Jamshedpur and Bokaro, but the government did not make its systematic use in time. Had its management been good, the death toll from Corona would have been far less. Despite everything, the situation worsened due to mismanagement," Marandi said.
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When asked about the promises made by the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) JMM-Congress government in its manifesto had promised 5 lakh jobs and unemployment allowance in a year. Babulal said, "The BJP has been raising its voice again and again. Leave aside the matter of giving jobs to five lakh people, those who were working on a contract basis were fired by the government. Those who agitated were pelted with batons. He even lashed out at the state government for having delayed the appointment of those candidates based on the merit list which was prepared by the previous government with regards to the Panchayat Sevak recruitment."
There has been a lot of politics in the state over the formation of the Tribal Advisory Committee. The TAC formed on June 22 included three BJP MLAs who expressed their objections in the first meeting itself. Reacting to this, Babulal Marandi said, "The right to constitute TAC has been given to the Governor as per the Indian Constitution, but the Hemant Soren-led government has done unconstitutional work by snatching the powers from the Governor. So now, the protest is about how we can cooperate when such unconstitutional work is being done by the government. This is the sole reason why the BJP MLAs had objected. In fact, after the formation of the Hemant Soren government, the file regarding TAC was returned twice from the Raj Bhavan due to some objections. Also, when Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey raised questions over the demand of conduct certificate of some members by Raj Bhavan, the latter's role in the TAC was abolished and a notification regarding the same was issued."
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The Leader of the Legislature Wing of the BJP has also been alleging of transfer and posting of officials across the state. Apart from this, he has also raised the issue of illegal sand transportation being carried out under the protection of the government and took the Hemant Soren government head-on, on all these matters. He alleged that legal work is not being done in Jharkhand, especially those related to sand, stone chips, iron ore and coal, adding that the Hemant government had written a letter to the Government of India to reserve iron ore for the public sector. Marandi alleged that the state government is ready to do everything illegally because if they do legal work, money will go to the government's coffers and if illegal work happens, they can fill their own pockets. Whereas due to the auction, two to three thousand crore rupees came into the account of the government, due to which people got better service during the Corona period, the BJP leader said.
" If anyone says that when Babulal Marandi was the CM, commission was taken for transfer posting or development schemes, or if any entrepreneur tells that money has been demanded and his file withheld, then I will quit politics," said Babu Lal Marandi.
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In Jharkhand, even after one and a half years of the present government, there is no Leader of Opposition, and the issue is still under consideration with the Speaker. Responding to this, Marandi said that his party - Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) was duly merged with the BJP and the Election Commission had given its approval and that in the Rajya Sabha elections, he has also cast his vote as a BJP MLA. But now why the Speaker of the Assembly does not want to give him the status of Leader of Opposition, this needs to be replied by the government, he says.
He also went onto say that he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other office bearers of the organization prior to joining the BJP, and later, following the instructions of the party, he was made the leader of the BJP's Legislature Party. He said that he is never afraid of elections. Referring to the victory in Dumka twice and the decision to enter Ramgarh as a resident of Giridih, he said, "Whether the government should give the status of Leader of Opposition or not, I will continue to fight for the issues of public interest."
Read: Jharkhand Assembly Speaker dwells on Marandi's defection case
In fact, 3 MLAs of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) were elected in the assembly elections in 2019. But Babulal Marandi wanted to join the BJP and to avoid the anti-defection law, he expelled his MLAs Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey from his party and merged JVM with the BJP. Both their MLAs later joined the Congress. This move of Marandi though got the support of the Election Commission, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Mahato held it in abeyance.
Santal community leader Babulal Marandi is known as the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He used to be a primary school teacher, later he left the teacher's job to promote the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and in 1991, the then General Secretary of BJP Govindacharya inducted Babulal Marandi into the BJP. In the year 1996, the BJP made Babulal Marandi the president of Jharkhand. After this, in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, he not only defeated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren but also led the BJP to victory in 12 Lok Sabha seats out of 14 in the Jharkhand region. This victory proved him to be a charismatic leader of Jharkhand before he became the first Chief Minister of the newly formed state in 2000.
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Meanwhile, due to some differences that arose with the BJP, Marandi formed his own party, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) on 14 September 2006. In the assembly elections of the year 2019, 3 MLAs of his party were elected and just after the election he merged his party with the BJP. On February 17, 2020, in the presence of Amit Shah, Babulal Marandi once again joined the BJP. The BJP also elected him as the leader of the legislature party, but the Speaker of the Assembly has not given him the status of Leader of the Opposition, as the tussle is still on.
