Tensions are brewing in Jharkhand’s political arena with BJP state chief and parliamentarian Aditya Sahu condemning the move to conduct municipal polls using traditional ballot papers. He perceives it as a calculated strategy to exploit authority and tilt the scales.
Forced by BJP’s sustained movements and judicial mandates, the Soren government has greenlit elections across 48 civic bodies pending for over two years. Nonetheless, rejecting EVMs in favor of ballots—contrary to BJP’s advocacy for 2018-style party contests—fuels suspicions of foul play.
Sahu attributed this to the ruling front’s panic over waning voter base, exacerbated by governance lapses and spiraling crime rates under police complicity. ‘They’re engineering a rigged environment to install favorites,’ he accused.
Urging the election authority to enforce clean processes, he assured BJP’s vigilant monitoring at every stage. A pointed threat followed: ‘Police serving as the regime’s election machinery will answer for it.’
With stakes high for local power dynamics, Sahu’s allegations could galvanize opposition forces, setting the stage for a fiercely contested urban electoral showdown in Jharkhand.