Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi on Tuesday accused the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of opposing the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls for the sake of vote-bank politics.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s state headquarters, Marandi alleged that these parties were not only trying to settle Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants in Jharkhand but also ensuring their inclusion in voter lists to secure electoral gains.
“The state government’s opposition to the SIR clearly shows its intention. They do not just want to rehabilitate these outsiders but also make them voters, so that elections in Jharkhand can tilt in favour of Congress, JMM and RJD,” Marandi said.
Citing census figures, Marandi highlighted what he termed as “alarming demographic changes” in the state. He said tribal population in Jharkhand has declined from 35.38 per cent in 1951 to 26.20 pc in 2011, while the Muslim population grew from 8.9 pc to 14.53 pc in the same period.
The overall Hindu population, he claimed, dropped from 87.79 pc in 1951 to 81.17 pc in 2011. “This increase cannot be natural. Continuous infiltration from Bangladesh is the main reason,” Marandi alleged.
The BJP leader also presented data from voter lists to buttress his claims. Between 2014 and 2019, the national growth in voters was 9.3 pc, while Jharkhand recorded only 6.2 pc.
However, between 2019 and 2024, Jharkhand saw a 16.7 pc increase compared to the national average of 10.1 pc. “This clearly shows what is happening under the present state government,” he said.
Giving constituency-level examples, Marandi pointed out that in Simdega, Muslim voters increased by 78.4 pc between 2019 and 2024, compared to a 7.2 pc rise among non-Muslims.
Similarly, in Jagannathpur (Kolhan), Muslim voters grew by 52 pc against 13 pc among others. “This is not natural growth but part of a planned demographic change,” he claimed.
Marandi alleged that in several regions, fake birth certificates and ration cards were issued to outsiders. “Even in villages where no Muslim families existed, hundreds of certificates were made. Investigations later found people belonging to Murshidabad and Malda (West Bengal),” he said.
The BJP leader demanded that the Election Commission thoroughly verify the state’s voter rolls. “Only genuine citizens of Jharkhand should remain on the list. Fake voters must be removed immediately. This exercise should be completed even if it takes a year. Otherwise, it will be a direct threat to democracy,” he warned.
Also read: JMM seeks ‘Father of Jharkhand’ tag for Shibu Soren
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