People voted against BJP policies in Jharkhand: Kharge

As the Grand Alliance of Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) passed the halfway mark in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the mandate is against the ruling BJP and its policies in the state.

Speaking to reporters here at the party headquarters, Kharge said, "This is a good result and the people's anger is shown towards the BJP government."

He said in Jharkhand people were "fed up" with the BJP government. "Even at the Centre, people are fed up over unemployment, inflation and even farmers were suffering. All those things helped Congress and our alliance partners (JMM and RJD) with that. In that context people voted for Congress and its alliance," the Congress leader said.

His remarks came soon after the Grand Alliance comprising the three parties passed the halfway mark of 42 in the 81-member Assembly. The JMM was leading on 24 seats while the Congress and the RJD were leading on 13 and five seats, respectively. The BJP is leading on 29 seats in the mineral-rich state.

When asked that the BJP brought demonetisation, goods and services tax (GST) and also the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the unrest in the country over the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Kharge said, "NRC is a different thing and now already against CAA people have shown their anger and it is visible they (BJP) are still doing wrong things and they think that whatever they do people will accept it."

"And as results are coming, this itself shows that the people are fed up with their demonetisation, GST, unemployment," Kharge added.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pranav Jha told IANS, "The people have rejected the national narrative built by the BJP in the state over the issues of Article 370, CAA and the NRC and voted for the local issues."

Jha further said that the Congress-JMM-RJD alliance will work for the welfare of the people in the state for the next five years.

The Congress, JMM and RJD contested on 31, 43 and seven seats, respectively, in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand voted in five phases from November 30 to December 20.IANS