Ranchi: The supporters of Jairam Mahto are quick to show a video on their mobile phones. ‘Tiger Jairam Mahto’, as they call him, is addressing a rally in rain in Dumri addressing a thin crowd.
“He speaks for us and that’s why people listen to him even if it is raining,” Hikim Mahto, a farmer in Jojodih village of Tamar assembly constituency, told ET.
Jairam Mahto, a 30yearold who belonged to a village in Dhanbad district, was first noticed in January 2022, when he started the Jharkhand language movement against the government decision to notify Bhojpuri and Magahi as regional languages in the state. He started a movement for Jharkhand language and rights of the people of the state and became popular in Dhanbad and nearby areas. In the recent general election, he formed the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) party and contested eight Lok Sabha seats out of 15. in the state. Mahto himself got more than 300,000 votes in Giridih and was leading in two assembly segments despite finishing third.
“In all eight seats we got around nine lakh votes. This was just the beginning, and our presence will be visible in the assembly election,” Mahto told ET.
He is contesting from two assembly seats Dumri and Bermo and his party is contesting 69 seats out of 81 in the state.Mahto comes from the influential Kurmi community, which accounts for about 15 per cent of the state population, the second largest block. after the tribal community.Largely he is finding a support base among the Kurmi community. “We have tried everyone. This time our boy is contesting the election. We are willing to give him a chance,” said Gulab Mahto, a tea shop owner in Hanthi Tand, Kharsawan.
Jairam Mahto claims that he is getting support across communities.
“Our Lok Sabha candidate in Ranchi got 132,000 votes. How is it possible without the support from all the communities?” he said.
Mahto was silent about alliance prospects and said he wanted to be equidistant from both the NDA and INDIA bloc.
“We are trying to give a new alternative to the people of the state. Let the result come and these things can be discussed later. Our ideology is the development of people of Jharkhand,” he said.
His party is being keenly watched by both the NDA and INDIA bloc. For AJSU leader Sudesh Mahto, Jairam Mahto is a direct competitor with appeal in similar voter groups.
“Jairam Mahto may have influence in a few regions, and he is trying to emerge on the political scene. But his politics is dividing the people among caste groups. He won’t succeed as BJP talks of unity among the people,” Pradeep Sinha , state BJP spokesperson, told ET.
INDIA alliance parties are also working on strategies to reduce the JLKM impact in the upcoming polls.
On Thursday, JKLM candidate from Gandey, Aqeel Akhtar alias Rizwan Krantikari, joined the JMM in the presence of Hemant Soren. Akhtar was a close friend of Jairam and the Muslim face of his party. The JMM has fielded Kalpana Soren from Gandey seat with a sizable Muslim population.
“Everyone is targeting us. They have power and money. We have people’s support. We are not afraid, and no one can stop us,” said Jairam Mahto.