BJP represents 103 Lok Sabha seats where forests rights is key issue, shows analysis

New Delhi BJP MPs dominate Lok Sabha seats, with FRA implementation being a major issue nationwide.

BJP MPs represent 103 of the 153 Lok Sabha seats in the country where the implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 is a major issue, according to a recent report.

The Congress, which enacted the FRA, and the Biju Janata Dal represent 11 seats each, Shiv Sena 6, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and YSRCP 5 each, and the National Congress Party 4, the analysis by independent organisation Vasundhara found.

Considered a milestone in redressing the historical injustice done to Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, the Forest Rights Act 2006 aims to recognise forest rights of such communities living in forests for generations.

According to the analysis, there are 86 Lok Sabha seats where people demanding forest rights account for over 30% of the electorate.

Similarly, there are 45 seats where FRA eligible voters comprise over 40% of the electorate. These include the Khunti Lok Sabha seat where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeated Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda as its candidate.

Out of the 153 core FRA constituencies, the BJP and the Congress ran directly against each other in 74 constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, of which the Congress won only 5.

There are 47 ST reserved seats in India, out of which 42 are core FRA constituencies. The BJP won 31 ST seats in 2019 and the Congress only 3.