Three Faces Rise to Change Politics of Status Quo
Jairam Kumar Mahto, CJ Vijay, and Prashant Kishor Image credit X.com
Jairam Mahto, CJ Vijay, Prashant Kishor Make Mark
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, January 26: Spread across geographies, three political entrants are making mark in their respective state politics. Jairam Kumar Mahto in Jharkhand, CJ Vijay in Tamil Nadu, and Prashant Kishor now seem key political actors in their respective domains.
Vijay, a film star turned politician, last year launched his political outfit Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Within a short span of time, Vijay put inn place party infrastructure all across Tamil Nadu.
Reports said that TVK has more party district units than the ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK. Vijay reportedly personally interviewed local unit chiefs to prepare a dedicated cadre for his fledgling party.
Mahto made a successful debut in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, winning from Dumri constituency in the Giridih district. The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Party (JLKM) bagged over 10 lakh votes to sink hopes of the rival AJSU, which is an alliance partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The JLKM reportedly is on a fast-paced expansion in Jharkhand. Mahto is blunt in his messaging. On ₹2500 monthly cash dole of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government, Mahto told Chief Minister Hemant Soren that a scholarship should be a better alternative.
Kishor in Bihar launched his party, Jan Suraj, on Gandhi Jayanti, on October 2, last year. He has already put in place a hand-picked party structure at the bloc level. In the byelections for four Assembly seats, Kishor’s outfit bagged over 10 per cent votes.
The three entrants in politics are raising voices of alternative politics. Tamil Nadu-based political commentators note caste and religion neutrality of Vijay. The same is seen with Mahto and Kishor.
They all accuse the established parties of rampant corruption and misgovernance. They assert that they have joined politics to change the status quo. Income inequality, migration, and corruption are three key political templates of the debutants.
Also, they are pulling strong support in their outreach with the people. Besides, they are also at the centre stage of the media attention.
Mahto in Jharkhand is youngest of the three. Pursuing PhD studies, Mahto has an army of youth leaders who have emerged out of the college campuses. Yet, he has become a vocal voice in Jharkhand against displacement due land acquisition, alleged unequal pay to locals and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Three of them are essentially offering new choices to the people in their respective states against established political entities who have associated with politics of identities.
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