Ranchi, Nov 23: Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance stormed back to power in Jharkhand on Saturday for the second consecutive term, winning 52 seats and leading in four others in the 81-member assembly.
The BJP-led NDA, which was confident about its prospects in the state after an aggressive campaign, won 21 seats and was leading in three.
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.
According to the latest EC figures, the JMM is either leading or has won in 34 of the 43 seats it contested, the Congress in 16 of the 30 seats where it fielded candidates, the RJD won four of the six seats it fought, while the CPI(ML) Liberation won two of the four seats it contested. The coalition witnessed friendly fights in some constituencies.
The BJP won or is leading in 21 of the 68 seats it contested, while the LJP (Ram Vilas) won the lone seat it fought, and the JD(U) was ahead in one of the two seats it contested. The AJSU Party faced a rout, retaining only one of the 10 seats it contested.
The majority mark in the assembly is 41.
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.
His wife Kalpana Soren, credited with revitalising the JMM after the arrest of her husband, took an unassailable lead of 16,960 in the Gandey seat.
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.
Meanwhile, even as the ruling coalition secured a massive mandate, four key ministers were on the verge of defeat. They were Health Minister Banna Gupta, Water Resources Minister Mithilesh Thakur, Education Minister Baidyanath Ram and Social Welfare Minister Bebi Devi.
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)
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