Voting is underway in 43 seats across 15 districts in the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections today, November 13. The second phase of election for 38 seats is scheduled for November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.
The contest in Jharkhand is between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
In the 2019 Assembly Elections for 81 seats, the JMM emerged as the largest party with 30 seats, while the BJP bagged 25 seats. The Congress won 16 seats, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) got three seats, while All Jharkhand Students Union won 2 seats.
The JMM formed a government with the support of the Congress and RJD. The alliance is contesting the 2024 assembly election again, with Hemant Soren-led JMM contesting 43 of the 81 seats in the assembly. The Congress has fielded candidates in 30 seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is contesting six seats and the Left parties are contesting three seats.
In the NDA bloc, the BJP is contesting on 68 seats, while its alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) has fielded candidate in 10 seats. The Janata Dal (United) is contesting two seats and the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is contesting from a lone seat in Jharkhand polls.
Of the 43 seats voting today in phase 1, the JMM had won 17 seats. The BJP won 13 seats and the Congress had won 8 seats among the 43 constituencies where voting is on today, according to a report in The Indian Express. The RJD had won one seat. The remaining four seats voting today were bagged by smaller parties and independents.
The prominent candidates in the first phase include former Chief Minister Champai Soren who is contesting for the first time as a BJP candidate (Saraikela), Odisha governor and former CM Raghubar Das' daughter-in-law Purnima Das Sahu (Jamshedpur East) and Saryu Roy, who is contesting as Janata Dal -(United) candidate (Jamshedpur West) seat.
