The Jharkhand Assembly Election dates are out and incumbent CM Hemant Soren will be hoping for a third term in office. Fresh out of prison on bail and surrounded by allegations of corruption, Soren is desperate for a decisive victory that he can flaunt as his certificate of the "people's trust". However, the BJP is raring for an intense fight, bringing in its big guns, such as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Madhya Pradesh CM and incumbent Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for its campaigns.
'Bangladeshis, Fake Aadhaars, Corruption' — BJP's Attack On JMM In Jharkhand
The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by the party's election in-charge for the state, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has mounted an intense attack, blaming Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for the "changing demographics" of the state. The BJP said that the JMM was patronising Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators to benefit its vote bank.
The BJP, which will be fighting the assembly polls in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union and the Janata Dal (United), has repeatedly attacked the Hemant Soren government over alleged Bangladeshi infiltration. The BJP said that to stop this infiltration from Bangladesh, the BJP would introduce the National Register of Citizens in Jharkhand.
The BJP alleged that due to infiltration, the tribal population had decreased from 44% to 28%. Bangladeshi Muslims are allegedly acquiring fake Aadhaar cards and residing in Jharkhand.
The BJP also targeted JMM chairman and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren over his alleged involvement in money laundering and forgery in the land 'scam'.
Among the BJP's top promises are employment and the 'Gogo Didi Yojana', under which women would be given Rs 2,100 every month.
Hemant Soren's Counter To BJP's Allegations Ahead Of Jharkhand Elections
Hemant Soren has sought to counter the BJP's attack, highlighting Hemant Soren's governance over the last five years. Soren is also banking on the government's Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana (announced in August) under which eligible women aged between 21 and 50 are given Rs 1,000. Over 45 lakh women have reportedly benefited from the scheme so far. The JMM is now looking to increase the allowance to Rs 2,500 under the ‘JMM Samman Yojana’.
Reacting to the BJP's corruption allegations, Soren said that he was arrested as part of a plot against a Scheduled Tribe CM. The narrative seemed to work in the Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP losing all five ST seats in the state.
In reply to the BJP's "changing demographics" allegation, Soren said the Centre should give tribals their Sarna religion code (separate religious identity for tribals in census). He said that in the absence of a religious identity, the "population decline is expected". He said the JMM-led assembly had sent the resolution to the Centre, which is just sitting on it.
The JMM will be fighting the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections in alliance with its INDIA partner Congress.
When Will Be Jharkhand Assembly Elections Held? Key Dates
The elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in two phases phases. The first phase will be held on November 13 (Wednesday) and the second phase will be held on November 20 (Wednesday). Counting of votes will be done on November 23 (Saturday).
Here are the key dates related top the election process.
| Poll Events | Phase-I | Phase-II |
| Date of Issue of Gazette Notification | 18.10.2024 (Friday) | 22.10.2024 (Tuesday) |
| Nomination deadline | 25.10.2024 (Friday) | 29.10.2024 (Tuesday) |
| Nomination Scrutiny | 28.10.2024 (Monday) | 30.10.2024 (Wednesday) |
| Last date to withdraw nominations | 30.10.2024 (Wednesday) | 01.11.2024 (Friday) |
| Date of Voting | 13.11.2024 (Wednesday) | 20.11.2024 (Wednesday) |
| Date of Counting and Results Announcement | 23.11.2024 (Saturday) | 23.11.2024 (Saturday) |
A total of 2.06 crore electors will exercise their right to franchise across 24 districts in 81 assembly constituencies. These include 44 general, 28 Scheduled Tribes, and nine Scheduled Class constituencies. Out of the total voters, 1.29 crore are female, 1.31 crore are male, and 448 are third gender. 11.84 lakh people will vote for the first time in the Jharkhand Assembly eelctions 2024. 1.14 lakh voters are aged above 85, 1706 are centenarians, and 3.67 lakh are PWDs.
The poll body will set up 29,562 polling stations, which include 5,042 urban and 24,520 rural. 1,271 polling stations will be managed by women, while 48 booths will be managed by PWDs. There are eight particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) in the state. These PVTGs include Asur, Birhor, Saurya, Pahadiya, Birajiya, Korwa, Savar, and Malphadiya.