Assam Elections: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren predicts tea tribe vote shift to JMM

Jagiroad: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday predicated shift in tea tribe-Adivasi vote in favour of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)

He campaigned for Digboi candidate Bharat Nayak.

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Addressing the gathering, Soren criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party, targeting both the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the State government.

He alleged that tea garden communities have been neglected under the present dispensation. He said providing land pattas (right) is gimmick.

He said lives of tea workers have not improved.

He said that efforts would be made to enhance wages and improve basic facilities for tea garden workers if his party's candidate is elected.

JMM has fielded 16 candidates . Soren said, "Tea garden workers had just got miniscule wage increase"

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Recently, the Assam Cabinet approved a Rs 30 increase in daily wages of tea garden workers. Increase in tea wages was a hotly contested issue in the 2021 assembly polls. Following this, wages in Brahmaputra valley will rise to Rs 280 and will be Rs 258 in the Barak valley. Himanta Sarma had said, “As an interim measure, the cabinet has decided to increase the wages by Rs 30 with effect from April 1.” The minimum daily wage of tea garden workers was last hiked by Rs 18 in October 2023.

Assam has more than 10 lakh tea workers in the organised sector, working in about 850 big estates. The state produces roughly 55% of India’s tea. The tea belts of Brahmaputra and Barak valleys are home to more than 60 lakh people. Tea tribes, who have a major influence in determining the winners in 30-35 seats, have gravitated to the BJP in the 2016 assembly polls.