Kameshwar Baitha in Jamshedpur on Saturday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, June 25: Adding to the charges and counter-charges flying ahead of the Jamshedpur bypoll, JMM MP Kameshwar Baitha today took both BJP and Congress to task for “exploiting” the downtrodden tribals of the state.

Speaking at a press meet today, the 56-year-old former Maoist commander said it was only JMM which had a proven track record of safeguarding the rights of underprivileged tribals and their Jal, Jungle and Jameen (water, forest and land). He alleged that the national parties such as BJP and Congress only used tribals for their vested interests.

Baitha, who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Palamau while in jail, refuted allegations of Naxalites torturing villagers for defying the vote boycott diktat.

“They have never forcibly imposed vote boycott calls on villagers. We have ample instances of areas polling higher percentage of votes despite boycott calls by Maoists. Kya wahan par election ke bad kabhi koi hadsa hua hain? (Have you come across any incident of violence in those villages after election?),” asked Baitha.

When reminded that Maoists have pasted vote boycott posters in Ghudabanda and Dumuria block of Ghatshila sub-division, Baitha said it was an ideological issue.

“I cannot comment on their ideology. But I have come to know from my party sources that people will come out in large numbers to vote in these areas,” he said.

The comment assumes significance in view of the recovery of posters from Bara Botla and Chota Botla villages in Dumuria block of Ghatshila sub-division yesterday, in which Maoists warned BJP and Congress leaders against entering the villages while asking the masses not to vote. They also called the elections a farce.

East Singhbhum rural superintendent of police Ranjit Prasad the recovery of some posters asking villagers to refrain from taking part in the electoral process. “We have got used to such posters. They indulge in such acts before every election. But statistics prove that voters have defied such calls. We witnessed more than 60 per cent polling in the 2009 Assembly elections and also more than 70 per cent polling during the panchayat polls held last year,” said the rural SP.

The JMM leader, who would be touring rural areas as part of his campaign, also defended the decision of JMM to join hands with BJP for forming the state government. “It was a conscious decision as otherwise it would have led to another election, adding to the misery of the people. However, coalition government has its disadvantages and we cannot go all out in fulfilling our obligation to masses as we would have done if we had majority,” said Baitha.