Jharkhand election results: Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance returns to power

Ranchi: The JMM-led coalition on Saturday stormed to power for the second time in a row in Jharkhand, steamrolling the BJP-headed NDA, by winning 56 seats in the 81-member Assembly.

The majority mark in the Assembly is 41.

In the 2019 elections, the JMM- Congress alliance had emerged victorious in 47 seats.

The JMM coasted to victory in 34 seats, while alliance partners Congress and RJD won in 16 and four constituencies respectively. The CPI(ML) Liberation got two seats.

The NDA, on the other hand, had to be contented with just 24 seats, with the BJP winning 21, while its three partners -- Ajsu Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and JD(U) -- bagged one seat each.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is now out on bail in a money-laundering case, led a campaign highlighting the social welfare schemes of his government and alleged conspiracy against him by the BJP-led Centre, while the saffron party canvassed aggressively focusing on “corruption” of his administration and “infiltration from Bangladesh”.

Expressing gratitude to the people, Chief Minister Soren described the alliance’s stellar performance as “passing the exam of democracy”.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP co-incharge for the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, said the party’s loss was deeply painful for him.

The BJP’s poll plank was driving out “infiltrators” from the Santhal Parganas region, but it seemed to have fallen flat in front of the ‘Adivasi’ card played by the JMM, which also sought the people’s sympathy over the arrest of Soren.

Also, bickering within the BJP over giving nominations to turncoats seemed to have cost the party.

The Chief Minister increased his margin in the Barhait seat to 39,791 votes, defeating BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom. Soren secured 95,612 votes, while Hembrom got 55,821 votes. In 2019, he had won the constituency by 25,740 votes.

Former CM Champai Soren, who joined the BJP ahead of the elections, won the Seraikela seat by 20,447 votes. It was the only seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes that the BJP won or was leading.

Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri faced a crushing defeat in Chandankiyari where he was relegated to the third spot.

As the results started trickling in, a festive atmosphere was seen at the offices of the JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI(ML) Liberation across the state. The scene was completely opposite at BJP offices with the party’s rank and file left wondering what went wrong.

The elections recorded a voter turnout of 67.74 per cent, the highest since the formation of the state in 2000.

The polling was held in two phases -- 43 seats on November 13, and 38 seats on November 20. PTI