Presidential poll: Why voting against Draupadi Murmu won’t be easy

It is rare for the West Bengal chief minister to strike an emollient tone. So, when she publicly says she would work in sync with the BJP on an issue, you sit up and take notice. Mamata Banerjee, of the “Khela Hobe” fame, chose to metaphorically pull the rug from under the Opposition’s choice, Yashwant Sinha, to instead talk of supporting the NDA’s presidential candidate, Draupadi Murmu. This is notwithstanding or even though Yashwant Sinha was part of Trinamool Congress prior to signing up for the big fight. Why, you ask, did she change the calculus so much? t is pure and simple electoral arithmetic. Mamata Banerjee wants to keep the tribal vote bank in Purulia, Bankura and Jangalmahal districts of Midnapore intact ahead of the panchayat polls in 2023. The BJP had won a considerable number of seats in the region in the last Lok Sabha polls and in the 2021 Assembly polls. She is worried about this development. This is where the talk of support for Murmu comes in. Draupadi Murmu belongs to the Santhal tribe. Mamata is worried on two counts: One, the tribal vote may veer again towards the BJP; and, two, Murmu being a woman candidate has its own draw. The BJP’s Hindutva push did not prove effective amongst the tribals, mainly dominated by the Santhals and Kurmis in the Jangalmahal region that comprises 40 Assembly seats in Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura. There are a couple of factors behind this development: Besides many welfare concerns which the tribal communities have been fighting for, the recognition of Sarna Dharma (in which the forests and nature are considered sacred) is an important issue in Jangalmahal.

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Leaders among the Santhal and Kurmi tribes say their demand to give Sarna Dharma an official status is still pending with the Central government. The BJP found out a majority of the Santhal vote share, which was its biggest base in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had shifted to the Trinamool Congress. This was mirrored in reported low turnouts for some BJP rallies. There are four Assembly seats in Jhargram, while in West Midnapore, Purulia and in Bankura there are 15, 9 and 12 seats, respectively. These 40 constituencies form Jangalmahal. The Santhals are the dominant community here, comprising 51.8 per cent of the total Scheduled Tribe population in the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, all the seats under Jangalmahal including Purulia, Midnapore, Bishnupur in Bankura and Jhargram went to the BJP. However, in the latest Assembly elections out of the 40 Assembly seats, the TMC bagged 25, while the BJP won 15, which was a major setback. Jangalmahal is considered an electoral swing region of Bengal. This result was due to the TMC’s aggressive “Didi ke Bolo” (Tell Didi) and “Duare Sarkar” (government at the doorsteps) campaigns in the entire region. Mamata gained popularity through her various schemes for the tribal people like Tribal Sahitya Akademi, Tribal Board, SC & ST Commission, recognition of Santhal language and syllabus in Ol-chiki language. No wonder, keeping these equations in mind, Mamata Banerjee is dropping massive hints of supporting Draupadi Murmu. It also means the BJP think tank was very keen to pick a candidate who would plug an important electoral gap. India, despite an 8.6 per cent tribal population, is traditionally known for neglecting this segment. The tribal population suffers from communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, mental health, and addictions complicated by poor health. An expert committee on tribal health has given recommendations with the goal to bridge the current gap in the health status of tribal people latest by the year 2027. One-third of the world’s tribal and indigenous population, that is, over 104 million tribal people live in India. Spread across 705 communities, they represent unique cultural diversity.

Unfortunately, they are not integrated into the national mainstream leading to lower educational levels (41 percent Illiteracy) and economic attainment (41 per cent Below Poverty Line); a life often marred by lack of material circumstances and lack of access to public utilities and services. Their geographically isolated habitats often compound their problems. Tribal leaders fall prey to identity politics. Alive to the deep discontent within the community, they mobilise for electoral gains. Target achieved, their intra-personal cultural bond with their tribal base dissolves into some imaginary goal of what the tribals desire. Coming back to Draupadi Murmu, if elected, 64-year-old Murmu would be the first President of India from a tribal community from Odisha. She was the first member of the tribal community to be the governor of Jharkhand. She was once part of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) cabinet in Odisha when Naveen Patnaik formed the government with the support of the BJP. BJD’s Patnaik is backing the NDA candidate. The selection of Murmu has placed the Opposition camp in a quandary. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, being part of the Opposition, is expected to support Yashwant Sinha. But Murmu, being a former Jharkhand governor, enjoys a cordial relationship with the state government. This might make the JMM wonder which button to press. As per available information, in 2017, Murmu had failed the erstwhile BJP government’s plan to amend land tenancy acts in Jharkhand. She had returned the bills introduced to amend the Chhotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act. Tribals of Jharkhand had aggressively opposed the erstwhile BJP government’s proposed amendments to the CNT and SPT Acts. It showed Murmu was anything but a pushover tribal leader. The BJP wants to utilise her stalwartness to strengthen its political hold in Odisha and get a foothold in Jharkhand where it lost the elections in 2019. As per the 2011 Census, Gujarat has more than 14 per cent tribal population. Districts like Dang in Gujarat are dominated by tribal communities. Murmu would be beneficial for the BJP here in the coming Assembly polls. The BJP may gain in the North East as well. As per the 2011 Census, India’s total tribal population was 8.6 per cent. But the tally in certain states is much higher than in others. Scheduled Tribes constitute 11.3 per cent of the total population in rural areas and 2.8 per cent in urban areas. Opposing a tribal presidential candidate could even cost the ruling Congress dispensation led by Bhupesh Baghel, as Chhattisgarh has a more than 30 per cent tribal population as per the 2011 Census. The BJP might gain in Madhya Pradesh too, which has more than 20 per cent tribal population. If not for Jyotiraditya Scindia’s revolt, the BJP would be sitting in the Opposition. Yashwant Sinha is not known for getting mass support and is a square peg in a round hole in the caste equation. And with this red flag, the perennially embittered Sinha’s time as a politician might reach its denouement. The author is CEO of nnis. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .