BJP's only campaign issue in Jharkhand is communal polarisation: Congress

The Congress on Sunday said it is clear from the BJP manifesto for Jharkhand assembly polls that its only campaign issue is "polarisation and the spread of the communal virus".

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that the language of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who released the manifesto today, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma makes it clear that the BJP will only depend on the "spread of bigotry, prejudice, and incitement of hatred in the name of religion" during elections.

Jharkhand goes to polls in two phases on November 13 and 20.

Ramesh also said that the BJP is "silent" on issues of caste census and the Union Government's responsibilities to ensure the state's development.

"From the manifesto released for Jharkhand today, it is clear that the BJP has only one campaign issue: polarisation and the spread of the communal virus," the Congress leader said in his post.

"The language of the Union Home Minister who released the manifesto, and that of its campaign-in-charge, the Assam CM, makes it abundantly clear that the BJP has simply no answer to the extremely popular and impactful schemes of the JMM-INC government in the state.

"It will depend ONLY on the spread of bigotry, prejudice, and the incitement of hatred in the name of religion (sic)," Ramesh said on X.

In another post earlier, Ramesh said the BJP must give an account for the delay in releasing Rs 1.36 lakh crore to Jharkhand in the form of pending coal royalties before seeking votes from the people.

"Why has the non-biological PM's Government denied the Rs 1.36 lakh crore it owes the Jharkhand Government on account of coal royalties?" he asked.

In Jharkhand, coal mines are operated by subsidiaries of Coal India Limited that owe huge sums of money to the state government, he claimed.

There is an outstanding of Rs 1,01,142 crore for "non-payment of land compensation", Rs 32,000 crore under "common cause dues" head, and Rs 2,500 crore under "washed coal royalty" head, the Congress leader said.

He asked why the Jharkhand unit of the BJP "failed" to secure funds for the state and why was the prime minister "silent".

"Why has the non-biological PM failed to release these funds? Is step-motherly treatment being administered to Jharkhand for voting for the JMM-INC alliance? " Ramesh said on X.

"Before seeking a single vote from the people of Jharkhand, the BJP must provide an account for this delay in the release of 1.36 lakh crores to the state," the Congress leader said.

The BJP is seeking to wrest power from the coalition of the JMM and Congress in Jharkhand.