New Delhi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP Legislature Party leader Babulal Marandi met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and held discussions on how to make the organisation stronger in the state. The talks covered the current political situation in Jharkhand and how the state government can be challenged more strongly on issues of public interest.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Marandi said that till now he has not been given the status of Leader of Opposition by the Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly.
“This is very unfortunate,” he said. “Jharkhand Vikas Morcha was my party. I merged my party with BJP a year-and-a-half ago. The merger was also recognised by the Election Commission. Even after this, I am not being given the status of Leader of Opposition. The office of the Speaker is a constitutional post. They should not discriminate against me.”
Also read: I do not fear elections, says Babulal Marandi
Marandi said that 11 out of 16 Congress MLAs in Jharkhand are not in touch with the BJP as is being said, nor is the party trying to woo those people with the lure of money
“We will not topple the government,” he said. “Everyone listens to those who have become ministers from the Congress quota (in the JMM-led coalition) , but no one is listening to the Congress MLAs. They are not listened to in transfer postings. Police officers, DCs, and government officials also do not listen to these MLAs.”
The former Chief Minister said that if the Congress MLAs do not get due due respect from their own party or from the government, they can rebel.
Referring to an incident last month in which three people were arrested reportedly from a hotel for allegedly planning to topple the coalition government in Jharkhand, Marandi said that they were actually arrested from a house and later the police said that these people were arrested from a hotel.
Stating that the three arrested were a fruit seller, a small shopkeeper and a Tata Steel employee, he said: “How can such small people topple the government? The Jharkhand government is harassing everyone by misusing its machinery.”
Also read: Jharkhand govt will complete its 5-year term: Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu
It may be mentioned that the Congress in Jharkhand is battling with internal strife. Rameshwar Oraon and Alamgir Alam, president of Jharkhand Congress and leader of the legislature party respectively, are also ministers in the state government. The Congress MLAs, however, want that Oraon and Alam should be given only one post.
One ministerial post is vacant in the Jharkhand government and the Congress MLAs are eyeing that too. Many Congress MLAs also want to join boards and corporations. At the same time, there was talk of 11 Congress MLAs being in touch with the BJP. After the three people were arrested last month, the ruling coalition alleged that they were part of a BJP conspiracy to topple the Jharkhand government.
Meanwhile, like in other parts of the country, the ruling alliance in Jharkhand has also demanded a caste census. When asked about this, Marandi said that the tribal people in the state have already been counted.
“The decision on whether caste census is necessary or not has to be taken by the central government. Whatever decision is taken will be accepted by all,” he said.
