‘BJP is like a multinational company where innovation is limited and people work as directed by Delhi’: Former Jharkhand BJP leader

A former MLA from Baharagora, Kunal Sarangi was once a blue-eyed rising star within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), an engineering graduate from NIT, Jamshedpur, who had been personally spotted and inducted by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. However, in a surprise move ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls, Sarangi, who had earned political laurels doing social work in East Singhbhum district, had quit the JMM and joined the BJP.

The BJP made Sarangi a spokesperson, and fielded him for the 2019 Assembly polls. However, he lost and in the recent Lok Sabha polls failed to get a ticket. Two months ago, Sarangistepped down as spokesperson, and on July 7, announced he was leaving the party. With his future plans not yet known, the 43-year-old speaks to The Indian Express about why he quit the BJP and the upcoming Assembly polls. Excerpts:

I believe in working for the people and thought I could do more in the BJP as it would provide me a national platform. However, now it seems I was misled. I was too young to understand the nuances of politics.

I fell into a trap as the local BJP unit worked against me after I was declared the candidate. A BJP MP, whom I do not want to name, worked against me and instigated the cadre. The issue was conveyed to the state leadership by the then district president but no action was taken.

As far as quitting the BJP is concerned, I was deliberately excluded from various party activities. I quit as I was demotivated.

The BJP functions like a multinational company where scope of innovation is limited and people work in a particular way as directed by Delhi. Also, factionalism is very high and ‘parikrama (sycophancy)’ will give you a career boost, instead of hard work.

On the other hand, the JMM is like a