Ranchi:Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren won by a margin of 39,791 votes against his rival BJP's Gamliyel Hembram, capping hat-trick from Barhait. Soon after his victory, he posted a message on X, saying, "Jharkhand has won."
Soren, who was seeking a third win from the seat and led the JMM fightback, became the fulcrum of a memorable comeback, overcoming BJP's spirited 'mati, beti, roti' campaign orchestrated by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who camped in Jharkhand for months.
Soren expressed gratitude to people Jharkhand for INDIA bloc’s stellar performance in the assembly polls, asserting that it passed the exam of democracy. "We have passed the exam of democracy in Jharkhand; we will finalise our strategy after the election results,” Soren said at a press conference here. Soren also said Jharkhand is set to script 'Abua Raj, Abua Sarkar' (own state, own govt). Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir said “Soren is the CM of Jharkhand and will continue to remain so”.
The assembly constituency has gained prominence as it is the assembly seat of Hemant Soren. Located in the Sahibganj district, Barhait, a reserved seat for SC and ST candidates, has been a stronghold of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for many years. Hemant, facing a turbulent time due to corruption allegations, sought a fourth term.
BJP's Gamliyel Hembram who hoped to challenge Soren's dominance in the region was decimated in style by Soren. It showed Soren's growing clout despite corruption charges. The BJP has focused heavily on issues like alleged Bangladeshi infiltration and corruption in the state under the current JMM government but these isues failed to resonate with voters. Dinesh Soren, a lesser-known candidate from NCP, who was the contestant from the seat, was no match to the bigger political players.