Indian Tribal News Service
New Delhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is said to be giving a serious thought to putting up a candidate from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate for the post of the President of India. Nevertheless, there is also the talk about the BJP weighing in the option of a Presidential candidate from the minorities.
Many reasons are being cited to back the tribal Presidential candidate theory: The Government’s focus on the STs, of late. The BJP’s bid to reverse the decline in its ST seat share in legislative assemblies in the polls scheduled this year and next year. Improving its ST seats share in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. And leaving no option for the Opposition but to back the tribal candidate.
Among those whose names are reportedly in the reckoning for the apex constitutional post are former Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu and Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey — both also having an advantage of being women — besides Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda and senior tribal leader and BJP MP Jual Oram. A surprise candidate is a strong possibility too, sources said.
The Prime Minister announcing the observance of the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda on November 15 as Jan Jaatiya Gaurav Diwas every year (he had also held a mega tribal rally on the occasion), setting up of tribal freedom fighter museums in different States, renaming railway stations after tribal freedom fighters and putting up their statues are some of the key pro-tribal moves made by the Government recently.
The BJP had last time round put its weight behind a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind. He is only the second from the community after KR Narayanan to become the President.
The possibility of a tribal presidential candidate is also being linked to BJP’s poll prospects. Of the 47 ST Lok Sabha seats, the BJP increased its tally from 27 seats in 2014 to 31 seats in 2019, but its share of ST seats in States has been gradually declining.
Gujarat, the home State of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, goes to polls later this year. In the 182-seat Assembly, 27 seats are reserved for STs. Despite the BJP ruling the State for the last six terms, its tally of ST seats has gone down over the years. It had bagged the highest 13 ST seats in 2007 but it came down to just 9 in 2017, when the Congress gave it a run for its money.
It is against this backdrop that Modi held a rally in tribal-dominated Dahod and announced projects worth Rs 22,500 crore for the region. AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held his rally in Bharuch while former Congress president Rahul Gandhi too addressed a rally in Dahod, signaling the importance of the tribal belt in the State politics.
In Madhya Pradesh, where the Assembly elections will be held next year, the BJP’s tally has gone down — from 31 ST seats in the 230-strong Assembly in 2013 to just 16 seats in 2018. And out of the 25 ST seats in Rajasthan, where polls will be held later this year, the Congress represents 13 and the BJP 8 at the moment. In Chhattisgarh, that too goes to polls next year, of the 29 ST reserved seats, the BJP managed to win only two seats while the Congress won 27 seats in the last Assembly polls in 2018.
Of the 81 seats in Jharkhand, 28 seats are reserved for STs. The BJP’s tally came down from 11 seats in 2014 to just 2 seats in 2019, when it lost power.
It is against this backdrop that on May 27, BJP president JP Nadda will preside over a meeting of its key tribal leaders from across India at its headquarters here. The meeting will take stock of preparations for the tribal-centric events lined up from June 3-5 to mark the completion of eight years of the Modi Government in office. Tribals, Dalits and Minorities will be the focus of the 15-day campaign of the BJP and Government as the Modi dispensation celebrates the eighth anniversary.
BL Santhosh, national general secretary, organisation, V Satish, Kendriya Sangathak of ST Morcha, Dilip Saikia, incharge of ST Morcha and ST Morcha chief Samir Oroan will also be present at the event.
A Birsa Munda Vishwas Rally and a Tribal Mela will be held in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, where BJP’s tribal leaders, including MPs, will highlight the government’s efforts for the uplift of the tribal communities. Also, tribal fairs will be organised in all Scheduled Tribe-dominated districts across the country.
The officer bearers of the BJP ST Morcha have also had a two-day huddle in tribal-dominated Kevadia in Gujarat.
