November 23, 2024: In a major political shift in Jharkhand, the INDIA alliance, comprising the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is on track to secure a clear majority in the 81-seat Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. With the final tally emerging this morning, the alliance has crossed the 41-seat mark required to form the government, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the NDA are struggling to gain traction.
The vote counting began at 8 am, and the BJP initially took an early lead. However, as the day progressed, Chief Minister Hemant Soren's JMM, which had expressed confidence in retaining power, mounted a strong comeback. By 10:30 am, the INDIA alliance had surged ahead in 51 constituencies, leaving the NDA trailing with leads in just 29 seats.
Key results from across the state saw several prominent leaders from the INDIA bloc maintaining strong positions. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, contesting from Barhait, continued to lead over BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom. In Khunti, JMM’s Ramsurya Munda held a steady advantage over BJP’s Neelkanth Singh Munda, while Minister Bebi Devi led in Dumri against her rival from the JKLM party. Congress heavyweight Rameshwar Oraon was also comfortably ahead in Lohardaga, defeating AJSU Party’s Niru Shanti Bhagat.
Despite the strong showing from the INDIA bloc, the results have not been without surprises. In some key constituencies, the BJP has faced tough competition. While BJP state chief Babulal Marandi held a lead in Dhanwar, other prominent BJP candidates, including Geeta Kora in Jagannathpur, initially trailed behind Congress' Sonaram Sinku. Former Chief Minister Champai Soren, who was trailing in Seraikela, made a strong comeback and regained the lead. AJSU Party leader Sudesh Mahto was also behind in Silli, with JMM’s Amit Kumar in the lead.
The BJP had heavily campaigned on an "anti-infiltrator" platform, aiming to galvanize voter sentiment around national security and immigration issues. However, the strategy did not seem to resonate as strongly as expected, especially as several key BJP leaders found themselves trailing in the early rounds of counting.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the election has been the performance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). In a remarkable turnaround, the RJD led in five of the six seats it contested. In 2019, the party had secured just one seat. This time, RJD candidates surged ahead in several constituencies, including Deoghar, where Suresh Paswan was leading BJP's sitting MLA Narayan Das, and Godda, where Sanjay Prasad Yadav maintained a commanding lead against BJP's Amit Kumar Mandal. RJD's Subhash Prasad Yadav was also in the lead in Koderma, and the party showed strength in other constituencies like Bishrampur and Hussainabad.
As of now, the INDIA alliance looks set to form the next government in Jharkhand, securing a majority in the 81-member Assembly. The results mark a significant setback for the BJP and its allies, who had hoped to make inroads into the tribal-majority state with a campaign focused on the issue of "infiltrators."