Jharkhand: INDI alliance retains power with two-thirds majority

RANCHI: Propelled by a stellar show from its spearhead JMM, the ruling I.N.D.I.A bloc ?rushed the challenge from BJP-led NDA to retain power in Jharkhand with a two-thirds majority in the vote count for the state's Assembly polls on Saturday.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who led the I.N.D.I.A bloc's campaign, is likely to occupy the hot seat for another term.

Of the total 81 seats in the state Assembly, I.N.D.I.A bloc has won 55 seats and was leading in one more. With three more results awaited, the main opposition National Democratic Alliance has either won or continues to be ahead of its rivals in only 24 constituencies.

The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, fighting its maiden election, has won the Dumri seat.

As per the Election Commission website at 8 p.m., the JMM has finished with 34 seats. Considering the party contested 41 seats, it makes for a formidable strike rate of over 82 percent.

JMM's alliance partners Congress (15 wins plus one lead) was in sight of 16 seats, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) clinched four seats. Another constituent Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation triumphed in two seats.

Among the NDA constituents, the BJP, which had carried out an aggressive campaign on the twin issues of infiltration and corruption, could end up with 21 seats. It has already picked up 20 seats, besides being in the lead in one more. The Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) has pocketed one seat, while the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) was ahead in one constituency.

Hemant Soren completed a hatrick of wins from Barhait, having earlier coasted to victory from the seat in the 2014 and 2019 polls. Soren, who maintained a steady lead since the counting began at 8 a.m, won with a 39791 margin over his BJP opponent Gamliyel Hembrom.

The 49-year-old leader, who happens to be the eldest son of JMM founder Shibu Soren, has been helming the state since 2019, albeit with a five-month break earlier this year, when he was arrested for alleged corruption.

There was further good news for the JMM and Hemant as the afternoon advanced as his wife Kalpana Soren and brother Basant managing to turn the tables after falling behind in the initial rounds in Gandey and Dumka constituencies respectively.

Kalpana bested BJP candidate Muniya Devi by almost 17,142 votes, while Basant Soren got the better of BJP's Sunil Soren by 14588 votes.

Among other prominent JMM nominees, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahato triumphed from Nala.

In Jama, after a day-long snake and ladder game, veteran politician Louis Marandi, who jumped ship to JMM after severing his long association with the BJP just before the poll, prevailed over the challenger from her former party Suresh Murmu by 5738 votes.

On the NDA side, overcoming initial hiccups, former state Chief Minister Champai Soren, who contested as a BJP nominee from Seraikella, won by a 20477 margin over her JMM rival Ganesh Mahali.

Champai, one of the founders of the JMM, had crossed over to the BJP after he was replaced as chief Minister by Hemant Soren in July.

In Dhanwar, Jharkhand BJP unit president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi was leading by more than 32,000 votes, with results of three more rounds of counting awaited.

However, another state BJP stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly Amar Kumar Bauri suffered a humiliating defeat in Chandankiyari. Bauri, who had been elected from the seat in 2019, finished third this time. Uma Kant Rajak of JMM, who had lost to Bauri five years back as a AJSU nominee, was elected, with Arjun Rajwar of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha taking the second place.

Other notable BJP candidates who lost were JMM chief Shibu Soren's daughter-in-law Sita Soren in Jamtara and Lobin Hembram in Borrio. Congress leader Irfan Ansari won with a 43,676 margin from Jamtara.

In another piece of bad news for the NDA, Amit Kumar of JMM stunned AJSU-P chief and former Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto in Silli by over 23,000 votes.

The election to the Jharkhand Assembly were held in two phases, with 43 constituencies going to the hustings on November 13, and the remaining 38 on November 20.

The state recorded a high overall voter turnout of 67.74 percent this time, the highest since its formation 24 years back.