New Delhi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren looks firmly set to remain in power in Jharkhand. The INDIA bloc have the lead according to the Election Commission’s website, with the following breakdown:
| Party | Won | Leading | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – JMM | 11 | 24 | 35 |
| Bharatiya Janata Party – BJP | 1 | 19 | 20 |
| Indian National Congress – INC | 1 | 15 | 16 |
| Rashtriya Janata Dal – RJD | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – CPI(ML)(L) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| AJSU Party – AJSUP | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) – LJPRV | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha – JLKM | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Janata Dal (United) – JD(U) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 66 | 81 |
Voter turnout was reported to be 67.74%, an increase of 1.65% compared to 2019.
A total of 1,211 candidates had been 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 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 contested from Barhait, his wife Kalpana Soren had the Gandey seat.
Hemant Soren’s brother Basant contested against former Dumka MP Sunil Soren, while former BJP MLA Lois Marandi – who once defeated Hemant Soren in Dumka – took 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 was called a “too-close-to-call” contest, the electoral battle was primarily between the ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as they fought it out to secure the swinging OBC voters. While the INDIA bloc sharpened its Jharkhandi versus non-Jharkhandi line, the BJP campaigned on a communal ‘Adivasi versus Muslim’ plank.
Exit polls released ahead of the results had showed varied forecasts. Most surveys predicted a strong performance for the BJP-led NDA, while others anticipated 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”.
This article was originally published on The Wire on November 23, 2024.
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