In the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly Elections, polling took place across 81 seats with over 1,200 candidates in the fray. Voting took place in two phases on November 13 and November 20. The results will be announced on November 23.
It was a high-voltage electoral showdown between the NDA and INDIA with the primary fight between the BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) where both sides put their best foot forward during the campaigning.
In 2019 assembly elections, the JMM secured 30 seats, while the BJP won 25 seats. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance formed the government with a comfortable majority of 47 seats.
From Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge- a number of political heavyweights have campaigned for their respective parties in Jharkhand ahead of the elections. Here's a look at the key constituencies where close fights are expected.
Key constituencies In Focus
Seraikella
Amongst the prominent constituencies that went to polls during the first phase of the assembly elections was Seraikella, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST), where former chief minister and JMM turncoat Champai Soren was fielded against Ganesh Mahli from JMM. Mahli was earlier with BJP.
Soren changed sides and joined the saffron camp citing his discontent with JMM over his removal from the post of chief minister. Seraikella recorded a voter turnout of 76 percent, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
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Barhait
All eyes are on the Barhait constituency as JMM candidate and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is the key contestant in the seat.
Hemant Soren had won the seat in 2019 with 73,725 votes which was well ahead of his competitor and BJP candidate Simon Marandi who secured 47,985 votes. This time BJP fielded Gamaliyan Hembrom (WHO IS HE) against Soren. Initially, the BJP had considered former minister Lois Marandi, also a prominent tribal leader from the Santhal Parganas, for this seat.
At the end of the second phase on November 20, Barhait recorded a voter turnout of 69.50 percent.
Gandey
Ahead of the elections, interests were building up around the Gandey constituency as Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren was fielded by JMM against BJP’s Muniya Devi. This year, Kalpana secured victory in the Gandey assembly by-election where she secured 1,09,827 votes, defeating BJP’s Dilip Verma, who bagged 82,678 votes.
Back in 2019, JMM candidate Sarfaraz Ahmed had won the seat with 65,023 votes defeating BJP’s Jai Prakash Verma who received 56,168 votes while Arjun Baitha from the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) received 15,361 votes.
On November 20, Gandey recorded a voter turnout of 73.36 percent.
Jamtara
Another key electoral battle is expected in the Jamtara constituency between Congress MLA Irfan Ansari and BJP’s Sita Soren. Jamtara is traditionally considered a Congress bastion with 12 electoral victories out of 18 since 1952, as per reports. In 2019, Ansari won by a margin of 38,741 votes by defeating BJP’s Birendra Mandal.
On the other hand, Sita Soren, the daughter-in-law of Jharkhand politician Shibu Soren and the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Hemant Soren appears to be another political heavyweight. The JMM turncoat who joined the BJP this year, previously contested from Jama.
The Jamtara electorate is considered diverse with the presence of both tribal and Muslim populations in the demographics. Jamtara on November 20 recorded a voter turnout of 75.01 percent.
Giridih
After 2019's victory, JMM once again fielded Sudivya Kumar against BJP’s Nirbhay Kumar Shahbadi in Giridih.
In the 2019 assembly elections, Kumar won the seat with 80,871 votes, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Nirbhay Kumar Shahabadi, who obtained 64,987 votes.
At the end of the second phase, Giridih recorded a voter turnout of 67.45 percent.
Dhanbad
Dhanbad witnessed a key battle between Indian National Congress's Ajay Kumar Dubey and BJP’s Raj Sinha. The latter won from Dhanbad in both 2014 and 2019 elections.
Back in 2019, the BJP's Raj Sinha won the seat with 120,773 votes while his main competitor, Mannan Mallik of the Indian National Congress, received 90,144 votes. This time the seat has recorded a voter turnout of 52.31 percent.
Dhanbad is known as one of the oldest and largest markets in the region housing several large-scale industries alongside coal mines and industrial establishments.
Dumka
Dumka assembly constituency this time witnessed a key contest between JMM’s Basant Soren and BJP’s Sunil Soren.
In the 2019 assembly elections, JMM’s Hemant Soren bagged 81,007 votes, against BJP’s Louis Marandi who finished second with 67,819 votes.
In the 2020 Assembly by-election, JMM’s Basant Soren won the seat with 80,559 votes against BJP’s Louis Marandi who managed to gather 73,717 votes.
As per the data shared by ECI, Dumka recorded a voter turnout of 70.56 percent.
Dhanwar
The list of key constituencies also included Dhanwar from where Jharkhand's first chief minister and BJP'candidate Babulal Marandi was fielded against JMM's Nizamuddin Ansari and CPI(ML)'s Rajkumar Yadav.
As per results of the 2019 assembly elections, Babulal Marandi who at that time represented the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM(P), won the seat with 52,352 votes against his closest competitor and BJP candidate Laxman Prasad Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who got 34,802 votes.
Dhanwar this time recorded a voter turnout of 62.38 percent.
Pakur
Pakur made headlines for having Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Aquil Akhtar as a key candidate. As per the Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, Akhtar is the richest candidate in Jharkhand with total assets worth over Rs 402 crore, including Rs 99 lakh in movable assets.
This SP candidate has previously won elections on a JMM ticket. This time, he is up against Congress candidate Nishat Alam and NDA-supported AJSU Party candidate Azhar Islam.
Pakur recorded a voter turnout of 75.63 percent this time.
Nala
After back to back poll victories in 2014 and 2019, JMM once again fielded Rabindra Nath Mahato in Nala against BJP's Madhav Chandra Mahato.
In the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections, Ravindra Nath Mahato won the seat with 61,356 votes while his opponent and BJP candidate Satyanand Jha garnered 57,836 votes. Kanai Chandra Malpaharia from the Communist Party of India (CPI) received 21,394 votes.
As per ECI data, Nala recorded an 80.30 percent voter turnout.
