Dibrugarh, March 29: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has made a strong political push into Assam’s tea belt, addressing a massive rally of tea garden workers at Rajgarh Tea Estate in Dibrugarh.
असम के सोनारी विधानसभा में असम की महान जनता को अब बदलाव चाहिए – ऐसा बदलाव जो सिर्फ़ वादों में नहीं, ज़मीनी हक़ीक़त में दिखे।
झारखंड की तरह यहाँ भी युवाओं को अवसर, मेहनतकशों को सम्मान और आदिवासी-स्थानीय समाज को उनका अधिकार मिलना चाहिए। विकास का मतलब केवल आंकड़े नहीं, बल्कि हर घर… pic.twitter.com/Xb7sffdp03
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) March 29, 2026
He pitched his party as a voice for the long-marginalised tea tribe communities.
Campaigning for Tingkhong Assembly candidate Mahavir Baske on Sunday, the Jharkhand Chief Minister said the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was committed to taking up key issues such as Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, wages and healthcare for tea garden workers.
The rally marked JMM’s most ambitious attempt to expand beyond its traditional base in Jharkhand, targeting Assam’s tea tribe population—estimated at 60 to 70 lakh people, including Santhal, Munda, Oraon and Kurukh communities.
Arriving by helicopter, Soren was greeted by a large turnout of tea workers and Adivasi community members.
“The tea tribe community of Assam has waited far too long for justice. Your ancestors built these gardens and contributed immensely to Assam’s prosperity, yet continue to struggle for dignity,” he said.
Soren made Scheduled Tribe status for tea tribes a central campaign plank, calling it a matter of constitutional rights.
“It is a grave injustice that these communities are recognised as Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand but not in Assam. This is about dignity and equal rights,” he said, adding that a JMM presence in the Assam Assembly would push the demand forward.
Highlighting conditions in tea estates, Soren flagged low wages and inadequate healthcare facilities as persistent challenges.
He said the party was not entering Assam as an outsider but as an ally of the tea workers.
“We have come to raise your voice and fight your battles,” he asserted.
The JMM has fielded 21 candidates for the 126-member Assam Assembly elections after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement with Congress.
The party is banking on its experience in tribal politics to build a foothold in upper Assam’s tea-growing regions.
Urging voters to support Baske, Soren said: “He is one of you and understands your struggles. Together, we can bring change.”
The Dibrugarh rally is part of JMM’s wider campaign across Assam’s tea belt ahead of polling on April 9, signalling a sharper contest for the tea tribe vote in key constituencies.
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