Ranchi: Propelled by a stellar show from its spearhead JMM, the ruling I.N.D.I.A bloc seemed on course to retain power in Jharkhand with a massive two-thirds majority, leaving the BJP-led NDA far behind in the vote count for the state's Assembly polls on Saturday.
Of the total 81 seats in the state Assembly, I.N.D.I.A bloc has either won or is in the lead in 56 seats. In contrast, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance has either won or continues to be ahead of rivals in only 24 constituencies.
The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, fighting its maiden election, has won the in Dumri seat.
As per the Election Commission website at 7 p.m., the JMM has already bagged 23 seats, besides being ahead of rivals in 11 more, and could expect to pick up 34 seats if the trends hold. Considering the party contested 41 seats, it makes for a formidable strike rate of over 82 percent.
JMM's alliance partners Congress (11 wins plus five leads) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD - two wins and two leads) were in sight of 16 and four seats respectively, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation have triumphed in two seats.
Among the NDA constituents, the BJP could end up with 21 seats, having already picked up 15 seats with leads in half a dozen more. The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) were in the lead in one constituency each.
Chief Minister and top JMM leader Hemant Soren, who led the I.N.D.I.A campaign, completed a hatrick of wins from Barhait, having earlier coasted to victory from the seat in the 2014 and 2019 polls. Soren, who maintained a steady lead since the counting began at 8 a.m, won with a 39791 margin over his BJP opponent Gamliyel Hembrom.
The 49-year-old leader, who happens to be the eldest son of JMM founder Shibu Soren, has been helming the state since 2019, albeit with a five-month break earlier this year, when he was arrested for alleged corruption.
There was further good news for the JMM and Hemant as the afternoon advanced as his wife Kalpana Soren and brother Basant seized the lead from Gandey and Dumka constituencies respectively after falling behind in the initial rounds.
With the counting over, Kalpana was ahead of BJP's Muniya Devi by almost 17,000 votes.The result is yet to be officially announced.
According to the EC website, Basant Soren defeated BJP nominee Sunil Soren by 14588 votee.
Among other prominent JMM nominees, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto was leading from Nala.
After a day-long snake and ladder game, veteran politician Louis Marandi, who jumped ship to JMM after severing his long association with the BJP just before the poll, prevailed over the challenger from her former party Suresh Murmu by 5738 votes in Jama.
On the NDA side, overcoming initial hiccups, former state Chief Minister Champai Soren, who contested as a BJP nominee from Seraikella, won by a 20477 margin over her JMM rival Ganesh Mahali.
Champai, one of the founders of the JMM, had crossed over to the BJP after he was replaced as Chief Minister by Hemant Soren in July.
In Dhanwar, Jharkhand BJP unit president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi was leading by a 26,000 plus margin, with three-fourths of the polled votes already counted.
However, another state BJP stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly Amar Kumar Bauri suffered a humiliating defeat in Chandankiyari. Bauri, who had been elected from the seat in 2019, finished third this time. Uma Kant Rajak of JMM, who had lost to Bauri five years back as a AJSU nominee, was elected, with Arjun Rajwar of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha taking the second place.
Other notable BJP candidates who lost were JMM chief Shibu Soren's daughter-in-law Sita Soren in Jamtara and Lobin Hembram in Borrio. Congress leader Irfan Ansari won with a 43,676 margin from Jamtara.
In another piece of bad news for the NDA, AJSU-P chief and former Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto was trailing in Silli to his JMM rival.
The elections to the Jharkhand Assembly were held in two phases, with 43 constituencies going to the hustings on November 13, and the remaining 38 on November 20.
The state recorded a high overall voter turnout of 67.74 percent this time, the highest since its formation 24 years back.
