The Jharkhand assembly election results have largely met the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) expectations, leaving the INDIA Bloc ecstatic. In contrast, the BJP led NDA, despite all its best efforts, failed to perform during the elections held in two phases.
The results clearly indicate that JMM is poised to form the government for the second consecutive term with Hemant Soren creating a history of becoming the first Chief Minister to return for the second time in a row.
Notably, the Soren family is also jubilant as three out of four family members have emerged victorious in the Jharkhand assembly elections.
Hemant Soren’s sister in-law faces defeat
Sita Soren, is the only member of the Soren family to face defeat. She contested against Irfan Ansari, a two-time winner from the Jamtara assembly seat.
Despite initially taking the lead, Sita Soren was eventually overtaken by Irfan Ansari, who secured an impressive victory with a margin of 43,676 votes, as per the Election Commission.
The Jamtara region has a significant population of Muslims and tribals, who are reportedly influenced by Irfan and his father, Furkan Ansari, a veteran Congress leader. According to an assessment, Hemant Soren is also extremely popular among the tribal population which is also a factor in Irfan Ansari’s massive win.
Sita Soren had defected from JMM to join the BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She was fielded by the BJP from Dumka, but was defeated by the JMM candidate Nalin Soren. Subsequently, the BJP fielded her in Jamtara in the recently held assembly elections but suffered another defeat.
During the Jharkhand elections, a controversy erupted over a statement made by Irfan Ansari, but it had no impact on the results.
Hemant Soren’s hat-trick
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has once again achieved a spectacular victory in Barhait, scoring a hat-trick. He had also emerged victorious in 2014 and 2019. Throughout the election, Hemant Soren maintained a steady lead, while the BJP candidate, Gamaliel Hembrom, failed to gain traction.
Soren successfully swayed voters in his favor, further solidifying his position. The Barhait assembly constituency has a total of 2.25 lakh voters, comprising approximately 1.15 lakh women and 1.10 lakh men.
Kalpana Soren secured victory from Gandey assembly seat
Kalpana Soren has emerged victorious in the prestigious Gandey assembly constituency, one of Jharkhand's most VIP seats. Initially, she trailed behind her BJP rival, Munniya Devi, by 3,000 to 4,000 votes. However, Kalpana made a strong comeback, eventually taking the lead.
Munniya Devi put up a fierce contest, but Kalpana's popularity and vigorous campaigning played a major role in her triumphant victory. According to an assessment she addressed more than 100 rallies in her constituency.
Kalpana Soren entered politics earlier this year when she contested by-elections from Gandey seat. This was shortly after her husband Hemant Soren was sent to jail on charges related to money laundering.
She emerged a prominent face and managed to successfully convey benefits of Maiyan Samman Yojana among the women voters across the 81 assembly constituencies.
The Gandey assembly constituency witnessed a significant turnout of 73.36% on November 20, with a total of 3,19,910 voters, comprising 1,64,926 men, 1,54,982 women, and 2 third-gender voters.
Basant Soren wins from Dumka
Basant Soren, the younger brother of Hemant Soren emerged victorious from Dumka, in Santhal region. This seat is considered a stronghold of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. He was pitted against former MP and BJP candidate Sunil Soren.
Sunil Soren had contested and won 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but in 2024 the BJP fielded Sita Soren from the Lok Sabha seat.
Basant Soren faced stiff competition from Sunil Soren but finally secured a victory.
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