In a scathing attack at the saffron party amid the ongoing campaigns for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra polls, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday accused BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, of resorting to “social polarisation” to win votes.

Speaking to a news agency, the Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications said the BJP’s approach towards both states shows their desperation following setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha election where they used “buffaloes and mangalsutra” to seek votes.

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“The election campaigning of our non-biological PM, HM and others in BJP in Jharkhand clearly shows that they are baffled and scared. They have not been able to recover from the results of the 2024 elections,” he said, claiming that BJP leaders lack substantial issues to engage with voters.

“The only agenda of PM Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, and Assam CM is social polarisation. Massive polarisation. Spread enmity, create communal tension, and spread communal venom. They have no agenda besides polarisation,” he added.

Ramesh claimed that while the Congress and its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies in Maharashtra have campaigned on issues of farmers, women, youth and social justice, the BJP’s strategy is polarisation.

“In Maharashtra, the Congress, NCP-SCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Maha Vikas Aghadi have campaigned on issues of farmers, women, youth, issues of social justice. But they (BJP) do polarisation in Maharashtra,” he stated.

Similarly, he highlighted that in Jharkhand, the Congress and its allies, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), are focusing on its government’s accomplishments and social issues.

“Go to Jharkhand – what are we, JMM and the Congress campaigning about? Our work in five years and our roadmap for the next five years, the work for tribals, SCs, STs, OBCs, every section of society, issues of jungle and forest…these are our issues,” he added.

The senior Congress leader went on to question the BJP’s reluctance regarding a caste-based census, asserting that social justice could be delivered only after the caste census.

“I would like to tell the PM that when you have the census, only then will you be able to go forward. What is the basis of social justice? Census. Why are they backtracking on the census?…If you don’t have caste survey, caste census, how would you deliver social justice?”

On the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators that the BJP has raised in Jharkhand, Ramesh dismissed it as a tactic to divert attention from pressing local issues.

“This is being made an issue. Why do they not speak about ‘jal, zameen, jungle’? Criticise the achievement of our government in 5 years. Speak about numbers. What would you do if you get elected to power? They won’t get the mandate, it is clear…In Maharashtra and Jharkhand, people will reject the politics of the spread of communal poison,” he said.

On BJP’s slogans of”Batenge toh katenge” and “Ek rahenge toh safe rahenge”, the Congress leader said the saffron party relies on divisive rhetoric instead of discussing welfare of farmers, women, and youth.

“They have just one agenda. What did they do in 2024 elections? Mangalsutra, buffaloes, what all did they not say?…They know just one thing. When elections come and campaigning begins, they know only to polarise. They try to spread massive communal poison,” he said, adding that the BJP’s focus on communal polarisation overshadows other key issues.

While election to the 288-member strong Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will be held on November 20, Jharkhand will go to polls in two phases on November 13 and November 20. Counting of votes in both the states will take place on November 23.