Sudesh Mahto, president of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand, will give a tough fight to INDIA bloc in 10 seats as an NDA constituent in the Jharkhand Assembly polls. His party emerged with the statehood movement. Mr. Mahto became an MLA for the first time at the age of 25 and represented his Assembly seat Silli four times in 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2019. He, however, faced defeat during Modi’s wave in 2014 and once again, he will contest against Amit Mahto, who had defeated him in 2014. With the first phase of polling just three days away on November 13, The Hindu caught up with Mr. Mahto in Ranchi when he was about to rush to Silli for election campaign. Excerpts:
How do you rate the government of Hemant Soren?
I have never seen such an irresponsible government in Jharkhand. Government is the protector of the State, even though not able to do much developmental work, the government must play the role of a guardian. In this government, there is no feeling of guardianship rather more inclined towards looting the money and natural resources of the State.
You had once said that some people became revolutionists by just burning tyres; Jairam Mahto had claimed it was a personal attack on him. Do you find him a challenge for you?
I was just defining the agitation because Jharkhand has always remained the land of revolutionists. Be it fight against the British or the demand for separate State, our people fought like freedom fighters. What Jharkhand has seen, no State has seen. I don’t think one can match that level as a revolutionist and I never had any issue with any person. As far as his candidature is concerned, I think anybody can join the politics and can contest the election. If there is any challenge for me, it is with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). We both (JMM and AJSU) have emerged from the Jharkhand movement and played a decisive role in the formation of Jharkhand.
Hemant Soren is continuously asking the Centre to release the dues of Jharkhand, that is ₹1.36 lakh crore, so that he can use that money for welfare schemes.
Have you ever seen or heard Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren having any discussion with the Prime Minister on the issue of development of his State. In the federal system, any Chief Minister can demand the fund for the development of his own State, that’s his right, but Hemant ji never took any such initiative.
There is a perception that like Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Bihar, AJSU is in Jharkhand which always revolves around power.
From the time of my political emergence and the 15 years of struggle in student life, you can easily make out what I stand for. I cannot justify this perception. When I started politics, it was the time of formation of the government in Bihar. That time Lalu Prasad ji was in minority and the first offer he gave me was to join the Cabinet. I replied to Lalu ji that if he can give me anything then, he must fulfil our demand of Jharkhand as a separate State. Joba Manjhi (United Goans Democratic Party) became the Housing Minister but I preferred to sit in the Opposition. So, one should do a better assessment about me and my party.
AJSU was not part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2019.
There were some ideological differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party due to which we could not become part of the NDA. As a result, we know that votes got scattered in which Hemant Soren and the Congress came to power. They did not get the majority of the vote. This time, we have made the alliance and more than party, State is our priority. Before I entered politics, in 1998 when I was young, I held a press conference at the Ranchi airport supporting Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the separate State of Jharkhand. I had told Atal ji that Sudesh Mahto would be the oldest and trustworthy ally of the BJP.
You claim yourself to be the important and trustworthy ally of the NDA but your party did not get a place in Centre despite your MP winning the election for the second time.
AJSU has consecutively won the Lok Sabha seat and represented the party in Parliament. I have full trust that in days to come, AJSU will get a place in the Centre as well.
Ruling parties in Jharkhand, be it JMM, Congress and RJD are alleging that the BJP-led government of Narendra Modi is misusing Central agencies like ED, CBI and I-T.
I will suggest you to check the previous records when BJP was not in power and which party misused the Central agencies for their own benefit. Did BJP use agencies against Lalu ji, or his own oldest partner.
NDA’s entire campaign is restricted to two issues — Bangladeshi infiltration and corruption. Don’t you have any other issue to raise?
We believe that country’s security is our top priority and if Bangladeshi infiltration is going on then we must stop it by identifying them. For me, it is a law and order issue, Bangladesh is close to West Bengal and after West Bengal our State Jharkhand comes. Due to the failure of the West Bengal government, infiltrators are taking shelter in Jharkhand. Both the State and the Centre, with a joint programme, should stop the infiltration.
You have faced defeat twice at your turf Silli in 2014 (Amit Mahto) and 2018 (Amit Mahto’s wife Seema Devi) respectively. Once again Amit Mahto is in fray as JMM candidate.
In elections, people sometimes lose and sometimes win. One cannot be undefeated. What is more important over here is not winning the election but why face defeat in the elections. If I become an MLA, I must know my responsibility very well. I became MLA for the first time at the age of 25. I represented my constituency four times and now it is a role model for other Assembly seats. I have made bridges, better roads, uninterrupted power supply, smart classes in government schools. If there is a mid-day meal in high school and plus 2, then it is Silli. We have our own sports academy and it has employed 17 people. From Silli, people have got selected in the Commonwealth Games. Self-Help-Group term started in Jharkhand from Silli.
How many seats NDA is set to win in this Assembly election?
People of Jharkhand will decide the number of seats for the NDA but one thing I am sure that the NDA will get the majority and the people of Jharkhand have decided to form the government of NDA.
Published - November 11, 2024 08:01 pm IST
