Ranchi

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP’s co-in-charge for the Jharkhand elections, emphasized on Monday that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is essential for identifying infiltrators in the state. He warned that, without NRC, these infiltrators could potentially take over Jharkhand. Sarma accused Chief Minister Hemant Soren of facilitating the presence of infiltrators, suggesting they are part of his vote bank.

Speaking to reporters in Ranchi, Sarma stated, We need to conduct NRC and surveys to spot infiltrators. Union Home Minister Amit Shah talked about implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but it will not be applicable to tribals. If NRC and UCC are not enforced, infiltrators will dominate Jharkhand. Soren wants their votes.

Sarma has made infiltration a key issue in his campaign, particularly regarding its effects on the tribal community. He referenced a government letter indicating that intruders were receiving training in madrasas and getting Aadhar cards. He is confident that the BJP will win the upcoming elections and implement NRC in Santhal Pargana.

In contrast, Chief Minister Soren dismissed the NRC and UCC proposals, stating they wouldn’t work in Jharkhand. He highlighted local laws like the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, along with the new Guruji credit card scheme, which offers loans up to Rs 15 lakh for students.

The elections for the 81 Jharkhand assembly seats are set for November 13 and 20, with around 2.60 crore voters eligible, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 66.84 lakh young voters. In the previous assembly election, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 30 seats, while the BJP secured 25 and Congress took 16.