Jharkhand VIP Seats HIGHLIGHTS: Hemant Soren Wins Both Assembly Seats; Raghubar Das Fails To Save Turf
Background
Jharkhand Election Results VIP Seats LIVE UPDATES: Counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats, which went to polls in five phases starting from November 30 till December 20, started at 8 am on Monday in all the 24 district headquarters. Jharkhand is the third state to go for state elections since Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Election Commission has made arrangements for counting at all the districts headquarters. Both BJP and Congress alliance made their best efforts to lure the voters.
Here, we take a look at some of the key players and VIP seats of Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2019:
Raghubar Das, BJP
Raghubar Das, the current Chief Minister of Jharkhand, is contesting from his home constituency of Jamshedpur East and eyes to bag his second term at the chief minister's office. After being elected from Jamshedpur East constituency in 1995, Das has never lost his seat. However, Jharkhand's only non-tribal chief minister is pitted against his former colleague, Saryu Roy, who, for the first time, will also be contesting from Das’ constituency.
Hemant Soren, JMM
Former Jharkhand CM - Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren is contesting from two constituencies - Dumka and Barhet. Soren fought both seats in 2014, winning in the Barhet constituency but losing to Louis Marandi in Dumka. Hemant is the son of another former chief minister and founder of the JMM, Shibu Soren.
Gourav Vallabh, Congress
Congress leader and a former finance professor at XLRI Management Institute in Jamshedpur, Gourav Vallabh is contesting from the prestigious Jamshedpur East constituency. Vallabh is touted to be the rising star of Jharkhand politics and has left a positive impression on national TV debates.
Babulal Marandi, JVM
The first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Babulal Marandi left the BJP in 2006 and formed the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM). Currently serving as its president, Marandi is contesting the Jharkhand Assembly Elections from the Dhanwar seat.
Sudesh Mahto, AJSU
Sudesh Mahto - the current President of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) is contesting the Assembly elections from the Silli constituency. In October, the AJSU announced the dissolution of the alliance it had with the BJP, however, hinting that the party would be open to forming new alliances post the election.
Lakshman Gilua, BJP
The state party chief of the BJP - Lakshman Gilua is contesting the elections from the Chakradharpur constituency. Gilua made the news early this year when he claimed that the Balakot strike, conducted by Indian Air Force in February, would propel Narendra Modi-led BJP to victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajantarik (JVM-P) President Babulal Marandi is fighting from Dhanwar Assembly seat. The AJSU President, who lost the 2014 Assembly poll, is trying his luck again from Silli seat. The exit polls indicate edge to JMM and Congress alliance.
BJP, however, is confident of returning to power. "We will cross the majority mark. Wait till counting. People has reposed faith in five years governance" said Deepak Prakash, BJP General Secretary to IANS.
JMM is anticipating the grand alliance's victory. "The grand alliance will certainly get majority. People are fed up with BJP government" said Vinod Pandey, JMM General Secretary.
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