When Raghubar Das completes his stint as Jharkhand CM, he would have two firsts to his credit. In December 2014, following the BJP-AJSU alliance’s victory, Das become Jharkhand’s first non-tribal CM. Five years later, he is set to be the only CM to have completed a full term in office in a state known for its unstable governments and recurring spells of President’s rule since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
But has Das also earned the spurs to ensure Jharkhand re-elects a BJP government even after shocking re-runs of lynch mobs targeting Muslims and others, a spike in starvation deaths, recurring power outages and joblessness, all under his watch?
In the 81-member assembly, 28 seats are reserved for tribals, who also determine the results in a dozen non-reserved seats. Yet they have been the worst hit by mandatory linking of Aadhaar with the public distribution system and MGNREGA wage accounts. Exclusion of bona fide beneficiaries for want of Aadhaar has led to a rise in starvation deaths over the...
