BREAKING: Champai Soren Trails On Home Turf In Early Trends, BJP Turncoat Leads

Nicknamed the “Tiger of Kolhan,” Champai Soren became the first JMM chief minister outside the Shibu Soren family, serving from February to July 2024. 

After the first round of counting in the Seraikela Assembly constituency, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Ganesh Mahali is leading. Ganesh Mahali has secured 794 votes in the first round, while former Chief Minister Champai Soren has received 559 votes.

Champai Soren has held the Seraikella Assembly seat since Jharkhand became a separate state. Even during the undivided Bihar-Jharkhand era, Soren represented the constituency, winning the 1991 by-election and the 1995 Bihar Assembly polls. He extended his streak in Jharkhand, winning in 2005, 2009, 2014, and 2019 as a candidate for the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).  

This year, however, Soren faces an uphill battle as he contests under the BJP banner, with early indications suggesting voters may favour the JMM over individual candidates.  

A prominent figure in Jharkhand politics, Soren briefly replaced Chief Minister Hemant Soren during a leadership crisis earlier this year. Nicknamed the “Tiger of Kolhan,” he became the first JMM chief minister outside the Shibu Soren family, serving from February to July 2024. 

Soren resigned from the JMM after what he described as an “insulting ouster.” He now faces Ganesh Mahali, a former BJP member who switched to the JMM ahead of the candidate announcements.  

In a twist of fate, the two were opponents in the 2019 assembly elections, where Champai Soren (JMM) defeated Mahali (BJP) by more than 15,000 votes. 

Jharkhand Assembly 2019 Elections Snapshot

In the 2019 elections, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance secured 47 seats, with JMM winning 30. The BJP, which won 37 seats in 2014, saw its tally drop to 25. Of the 28 ST-reserved seats, JMM won 19, Congress 6, BJP 2, and JVM(P) 1. For the 9 SC-reserved seats, BJP secured 6, JMM 2, and RJD 1.

With some exit polls predicting a close contest, the focus now shifts to key constituencies that could decide the fate of prominent politicians and alliances. As counting progresses, all eyes will be on whether the BJP-led NDA can dethrone the ruling coalition or if the JMM-led INDIA bloc retains its hold on Jharkhand.