Jharkhand Assembly Elections Phase I: Voting for 43 Seats Tomorrow, 685 Candidates In Fray

The first phase of voting for 43 of the 81 constituencies in 15 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand will take place tomorrow.

The first phase of voting for 43 of the 81 constituencies in 15 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand will take place tomorrow. Of the total 1,203 candidates in the fray in Phase I and II (to be held on November 20), fate of 685 candidates will be decided tomorrow.

A direct fight is on the cards between the NDA and the INDIA Bloc. The fight will be between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) along with its INDIA Bloc partners, Congress and RJD and the NDA bloc that includes BJP, JD(U), LJP and AJSU. Another party that is in the race is Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM).

Key candidates in the first phase are former Chief Minister Champai Soren who switched over to the BJP from JMM ahead of polls, Health Minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, Geeta Koda (wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda), and Purnima Das, the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Raghubar Das.

The key constituencies that goes to polls tomorrow are:

Saraikela: Since 2005, Champai Soren has been representing this seat. A six-time MLA of Saraikela, Soren took over as the CM in January 2024 following Hemant Soren’s arrest by Enforcement Directorate but later he joined BJP and is now contesting on a BJP ticket replacing Ganesh Mahli, who is now in JMM.

Jamshedpur East: Congress has fielded Ajoy Kumar hoping to win the seat that the party has not been able to win since 1985. Kumar is a former IPS officer-turned-politician. He is facing BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu, who is fighting to carry forward her father-in-law, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ legacy.

Jamshedpur West: Here it will be Congress’ Banna Gupta versus JDU’s Saryu Roy. Banna Gupta is the Health and Family Welfare Minister. Roy, who was initially with the BJP, rose to prominence after he defeated former CM Raghubar Das in 2014. He had won Jamshedpur East as an Independent.

Jagannathpur: Geeta Kora, former Congress’ Lok Sabha member, is contesting from this seat on a BJP ticket. Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she and her husband, former CM Madhu Kora has switched to Congress. She won the Chaibasa Lok Sabha seat then.

Here’s the list of constituencies going to polls tomorrow:

1. Kodarma
2. Barkatha
3. Barhi
4. Barkagaon
5. Hazaribagh
6. Simaria (SC)
7. Chatra (SC)
8. Baharagora
9. Ghatsila (ST)
10. Potka (ST)
11. Jugsalai (SC)
12. Jamshedpur East
13. Jamshedpur West
14. Ichagarh
15. Seraikella (ST)
16. Chaibasa (ST)
17. Majhgaon (ST)
18. Jaganathpur (ST)
19. Manoharpur (ST)
20. Chakradharpur (ST)
21. Kharsawan (ST)
22. Tamar (ST)

The high-stakes battle will kick off at 7 AM at 15,344 polling stations set up in the state.
In the last Assembly elections in 2019, the JMM won 30 seats, the BJP won 25, down from 37 in 2014, and Congress won 16 seats. A coalition of the JMM, Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal formed the government after the last Assembly elections, with Soren assuming the role of chief minister.
The tenure of the current Jharkhand Assembly is set to conclude on January 5, 2025.

Also read: Lok Sabha By-Polls in Wayanad Tomorrow, Fate of Priyanka Gandhi and 15 Others to be Sealed

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