Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jharkhand is set to elect its next government, with polling having taken place November 13 and the second phase slated for November 20, and the results to be declared on November 23, along with Maharashtra.
The state is set for intriguing election campaigns, with the BJP aiming to wrest power from the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led coalition, while the JMM-led I.N.D.I.A. bloc seeks to overcome perceived anti-incumbency and continue its ride on the saddle.
Let's take a look at how the BJP fared in the last assembly elections in Jharkhand.
In the last assembly elections held in 2019, the BJP, contesting without its long-standing ally, the All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU), won 25 seats, five fewer than the JMM, which secured 30 seats in the 81-member house. This was despite BJP increasing its vote share marginally from 2014. However, its seat tally declined from 37 seats to 25 seats. The saffron party's vote share had increased to 33.37 per cent in 2019 from 31.26 percent in 2014 assembly elections. In contrast, the BJP had performed better in the 2014 elections, winning 37 seats, with AJSU adding five to their combined tally.
The JMM formed the government in alliance with Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), together holding 47 seats.
It is widely believed that strong anti-incumbency and the low popularity of Chief Minister Raghubar Das contributed to the BJP's defeat in the 2019 Jharkhand elections. Tribal population in Jharkhand holds substantial influence over electoral outcomes. The BJP's loss in the 2019 polls was largely attributed to its poor performance in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Out of the 28 ST-reserved seats, the BJP could bag only two, Khunti and Torp.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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