Hemant Soren-led alliance all set to retain Jharkhand; BJP emerges as second largest party

Ranchi: Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance was all set to retain Jharkhand as it was leading in at least 50 seats in the 81-member state assembly on Saturday, as per the Election Commission data.

The performance of the BJP-led NDA, which was seen as confident about its prospects in the state after an aggressive campaign, was poorer than its expectations. It was leading in 29 seats.

The BJP's poll plank was driving out "infiltrators" from the Santha Parganas region, but it seemed to have fallen flat in front of the 'Adivasi' card played by the JMM, which also sought the people's sympathy over the arrest of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

According to the latest EC figures, the JMM was leading in 31 seats, the Congress in 14, the RJD in four and the CPI(ML) Liberation in one.

The BJP was leading in 26 seats, while the AJSU Party, LJP (Ram Vilas) and JD(U) were ahead in one seat each.

The chief minister was leading in the Barhait seat by over 17,000 votes, but his wife Kalpana Soren, credited with revitalising the JMM after the arrest of her husband, was trailing in the Gandey seat.

State BJP president Babulal Marandi was leading in the Dhanwar seat, former CM Champai Soren was nearing victory in Seraikela and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri was trailing in the Chanadankiyari seat.

Congress minister Banna Gupta was trailing to JDU's Saryu Roy in the Jamshedpur West seat. In Ranchi, CP Singh of BJP was leading against JMM's Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Majhi.

AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto was trailing in Silli.

The Lalu Prasad-led RJD was leading in four of the six seats it contested. In 2019, the RJD had secured only the Chatra seat where its nominee Satyanand Bhokta won.

A total of 1,211 candidates were in the fray in the elections.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said the counting of votes is likely to be completed by 4 pm.

The elections recorded a voter turnout of 67.74 per cent, the highest since the formation of the state in 2000.

The assembly elections were held in two phases - November 13 and 20. Forty-three seats went to the polls in the first round and 38 in the second.