Tribal Christian leaders have welcomed a secular regio-nal party returning to power in India’s eastern Jharkhand state in the recently concluded polls. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which advocates tribal people’s rights and interests, secured 34 seats in the 81-seat state assembly. Its secular allies, including the Indian National Congress and socialist and communist parties, won 22 seats, bringing the alliance tally to 56 when the results were announced on November 23. “More than happiness, tribal Christians are relieved they won’t have to live in fear and uncertainty under a BJP government,” said Ratan Tirkey, a former member of the Jharkhand government’s tribal advisory panel. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could secure only 21 seats. Smaller parties, including those allied with the BJP, won the rest of the seats. The JMM-led alliance impro-ved its performance with 56 seats, up from 47 in the 2019 election, and its leader, Hemant Soren, will again be the chief minister. Tirkey told that the BJP tried its “best to polarize the voters” based on religion and caste “but did not succe-ed.” Tirkey, a tribal Catholic leader, said the JMM is favo-urable to Christians. “Hence, we are planning to put forth some of our long pending demands like the revival of subsidies for pilgrimages in and outside India for Christians, and establishment of a minority commission office to ensure the welfare of minority commu-nities in the state,” he said.