Jharkhand Polls: From Barhait To Saraikela — Know About Key Constituencies Witnessing High Stakes Battles
Out of the total 81 constituencies, 43 will go for voting in the first phase tomorrow. The fate of the remaining 528 candidates in 38 constituencies will be decided in the second phase.
Jharkhand Assembly Elections: The stage is set for the first phase of the high stake political battle in Jharkhand on November 13, with 685 candidates' fate on line in a direct contest between the NDA and INDIA bloc.
Out of the total 81 constituencies across 24 districts in the state, 43 will go for voting in the first phase tomorrow. The fate of the remaining 528 candidates in 38 constituencies will be decided in the second phase on November 20.
The key parties vying for power are Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and the RJD, which are fighting under the INDIA bloc, while the BJP, JD(U), LJP and AJSU are contesting under the NDA. Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), led by Jairam Kumar Mahto, is also another key party.
The key candidates in the first phase of the Jharkhand polls are: Champai Soren, Mahua Maji, Geeta Koda, Ajoy Kumar, Banna Gupta, and Sukhram Oraon. Meawhile, the key constituencies to watch out for in the Jharkhand polls include Seraikela, Ranchi, Jamshedpur West, Jagannathpur, and Jamshedpur East.
Saraikela
Since 2005, the Saraikela constituency has had only one assembly representative —Champai Soren. Soren, a six-time MLA, has served twice in Bihar and four times in Jharkhand. He is also linked closely with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) founder Shibu Soren for leading the Jharkhand movement.
In January 2024, Champai Soren took over as chief minister of the state, following Hemant Soren’s arrest, raising the profile of the constituency. However, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and will be contesting from the seat on the saffron ticket, replacing Ganesh Mahli, who is now with JMM.
Ranchi
In Ranchi, JMM has fielded current Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji as its candidate. Maji is up against BJP's CP Singh in the Jharkhand polls. Mahua Maji scripted history by becoming the first woman from Jharkhand to be elected to the Rajya Sabha.
She holds a PhD in sociology and actively participates in debates in the parliament, including discussing issues such as the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Maji is also a member of the Parliamentarians’ Group for Clean Air.
Barhait
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren will be contesting the polls from Barhait with an aim to regain his position as chief minister. In 2019, he had contested from two seats -- Barhait and Dumka -- and had emerged victorious on both. However, he chose Barhait over the Dumka seat, from where his brother Basant Soren was later elected.
Dhanwar
As BJP aims to capitalise on its Lok Sabha success in Jharkhand, it has fielded former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi from the Dhanwar seat. He will be competing against JMM's Niazamuddin Ansari. In 2019, Marandi contested on Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) ticket and defeated BJP's Laxman Prasad Singh by a margin of 17,550 votes.
Jamshedpur East
The Congress has fielded Ajoy Kumar to make a breakthrough in the Jamshedpur (East) seat, which the party has failed to win since 1985. Kumar is a former IPS officer-turned-politician who is considered the party's strongest candidate in years. He is facing BJP candidate Purnima Das Sahu, who is fighting to carry forward her father-in-law, former chief minister Raghubar Das' legacy.
Jamshedpur West
Jamshedpur West will be witnessing a renewed battle between old rivals Congress' Banna Gupta and JDU's Saryu Roy. Banna Gupta holds the health and family welfare portfolio and cis a prominent minister in the Congress government. Roy, who was initially a BJP member, rose to prominence after defeating former CM Raghubar Das in 2014. He also contested as an independent from Jamshedpur East and won.
Jagannathpur
The BJP has fielded Geeta Kora from the Jagannathpur seat. Jharkhand Congress' lone Lok Sabha member, Kora, had joined the BJP in February 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she and her husband, former CM Madhu Kora, had switched to Congress. She had secured a victory from the Chaibasa (West Singhbhum) Lok Sabha seat at that time.
Gandey
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren is contesting from the Gandey seat. She is competing against BJP’s Munia Devi. Kalpana Soren took over JMM's campaigning on her husband's behalf when he was in jail.
In the first phase of polling, Jamshedpur West will see the highest number of candidates, with 28 nominees, while Jagannathpur has the lowest, with only eight candidates filing nominations.
Out of the total 81 seats, 44 are general constituencies, 28 are reserved for scheduled tribes (ST), and nine for scheduled castes (SC).
The state has a total of 2.59 crore voters, with 1.31 crore male and 1.28 crore female electors. Voters aged between 20 and 29 number 66.84 lakh, with 11.84 lakh first-time voters aged 18 and 19.
In the last assembly polls in 2019, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance won 47 seats whereas the BJP slipped 25 seats from 37 it held in 2014.
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