Soren's government dud cracker, NDA govt a powerful rocket: Rajnath Singh

GUMLA/RANCHI: Addressing election rallies at Gumla and Ranchi in Jharkhand, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh described on Tuesday the Hemant Soren-led INDIA bloc govt as "fused crackers of Diwali" while "BJP and its allies are powerful rockets" that can launch the mineral-rich state to new heights. JMM reacted saying the election results would show who actually is the fused cracker.

Singh also labelled JMM, Congress and RJD as obstacles to Jharkhand's development and said the state's voters should remove these hindrances in the upcoming election. He said that of the seven chief ministers of the state so far, three have faced imprisonment but none of the three is from BJP. "BJP has always run the govt spotlessly, but whenever the JMM govt came, corruption increased," the defence minister said.

JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, "Come Nov 23 and it will be laid bare as to who is the actual fused cracker."

Singh also promised to halt illegal Bangladeshi immigration and safeguard tribal rights if BJP forms govt. "Legislation to reclaim tribal lands from encroachers will be passed," Singh said at both rallies.

Claiming that tribals are losing faith in the JMM-led alliance, Singh cited how Mandal Murmu, a descendant of tribal icon and freedom fighter Sido Kanhu, switched to BJP recently. "Despite being CM Hemant Soren's proposer of his candidature, Murmu, preferred to join BJP because today people consider JMM and its allies to be a sinking ship. Their workers are deserting those parties," he said.