Ranchi: Even as top INDIA bloc leaders are making a beeline for the mega rally in Ranchi, a controversy has broken over the posters showing Kalpana Soren prominently.
The capital city and other places in the state are splashed with posters and banners of the rally which prominently show the pictures of Kalpana Soren and her husband ex-CM Hemant Soren. The Jharkhand Chief Minister, Champai Soren, and the other bloc leaders have small pictures on the displays.
This move is seen as an attempt by Kalpana Soren to establish herself as a key face of the coalition in Jharkhand in the absence of Hemant Soren, who is in jail
The BJP has alleged that it was a deliberate attempt to belittle the tribal CM.
BJP State President Babulal Marandi has said that it should not be called a “Nyay rally” but rather an “Adivasi apman maha rally (Advasi insult rally)” as the posters of the rally do not feature Chief Minister Champai Soren, who is an Adivasi.”
“This is ridiculous and insulting to the tribals. Now, JMM is limited only to the Hemant Soren family,” he added.
JMM, however, dismissed Marandi’s allegation, saying that the CM was indeed featured on the posters.
Party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said that Babulal Marandi “should get his eyes checked as he cannot see the posters featuring CM Champai Soren.”
Top leaders of the INDIA bloc on Sunday are set to address a ‘Ulgulan (uprising) Nyay rally’ at the Prabhat Tara Maidan here.
Prominent leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Farooq Abdullah (National Conference), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), and Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, will address the rally.
The INDIA bloc will focus on the arrest of the JMM’s former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Both Kejriwal and Soren are currently in judicial custody. Their wives, Sunita Kejriwal and Kalpana Soren are expected to address the rally.
JMM’s General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed that more than five lakh people will attend the rally.
A massive tent and three stages have been erected at the rally venue. Extensive security arrangements have been put in place.
–IANS