New Delhi: The votes of the Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024, held across 81 constituencies in two phases on November 13 and 20, are being counted today, November 23.
The INDIA bloc have a slight lead according to the Election Commission’s website, with the following breakdown:
| Party | Won | Leading | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rashtriya Janata Dal – RJD | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Indian National Congress – INC | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| AJSU Party – AJSUP | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – JMM | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha – JLKM | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – CPI(ML)(L) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bharatiya Janata Party – BJP | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Independent – IND | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Voter turnout was reported to be 67.74%, an increase of 1.65% compared to 2019.
A total of 1,211 candidates are in the fray, with high-profile names such as the BJP’s Champai Soren in Saraikela and Purnima Das Sahu in Jamshedpur East, and Janata Dal (United)’s Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur West. Ranchi witnessed a key contest between Mahua Maji of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and C.P. Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while chief minister Hemant Soren is contesting from Barhait and his wife Kalpana Soren vying for the Gandey seat.
Hemant Soren’s brother Basant is contesting against former Dumka MP Sunil Soren, while former BJP MLA Lois Marandi – who once defeated Hemant Soren in Dumka – is taking on her former party colleague Suresh Murmu in Jama. Other notable candidates include Babulal Marandi of the BJP in Dhanwar and Sudesh Mahto of the All Jharkhand Students Union in Silli.
In what is a “too-close-to-call” contest, the electoral battle is primarily between the ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as they fight it out to secure the swinging OBC voters. While the INDIA bloc has sharpened its Jharkhandi versus non-Jharkhandi line and the BJP its Adivasi versus Muslim one, it is the Sadans who may well decide this election.
Exit polls released ahead of the results show varied forecasts. Most surveys predict a strong performance for the BJP-led NDA, while others anticipate a neck-and-neck race or a victory for the INDIA bloc.
In the lead-up to the elections, tensions had escalated as a complaint was filed against the BJP’s Jharkhand unit for disseminating misleading and defamatory content targeting opposition leaders on social media. Unlike the JMM, which has a voter base in all communities, the BJP cornered a significant advantage in urban pockets, with the rhetoric of infiltration central to their campaign.
This article was originally published on The Wire on November 23, 2024.
Also Read: Maharashtra Polls 2024: Mahayuti Establishes Lead; In Battle of Alliances, Who Will Reach 145 First?
