Jharkhand election 2024 live updates: Phase 1 polling for 43 seats today, 638 candidates in fray
New Delhi: Forty-three out of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand are participating in the initial phase of elections today. Additionally, several by-elections are taking place, with the most notable being Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s challenge in Wayanad, Kerala.
- By-elections are scheduled for 31 assembly seats across ten states, as well as for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Among the assembly seats, four are designated for Scheduled Castes and six for Scheduled Tribes.
- The elections will occur in seven seats in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, five in Assam, four in Bihar, three in Kerala, and two in Madhya Pradesh, along with one seat each in Meghalaya, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka.
- In Sikkim, candidates from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha were declared unopposed winners for two seats on October 30.
- In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has nominated 23 candidates, while its ally Congress has put forth 17 candidates, and Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal has fielded five. The opposition BJP has nominated 36 candidates, with Janata Dal United (JDU) presenting two and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party seven candidates.
- Prominent candidates in this phase include former Chief Minister Champai Soren and his son Babulal Soren, Meera Munda, the wife of former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, Geeta Koda, the wife of Madhu Koda, and Purnima Sahu, daughter-in-law of Raghuvar Das.
- The JMM-led coalition is seeking a second term, emphasizing its welfare initiatives such as the Maiyan Samman Yojana. The NDA has vowed to eliminate infiltration and corruption associated with the Grand Alliance government, citing the arrest of Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a corruption case.
- The BJP’s key pledges include expelling infiltrators, implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), providing ₹2,100 monthly to every woman, and creating five lakh job opportunities for the youth.
- The NDA has conducted its traditional high-profile campaign, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Key figures such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have participated in numerous rallies.
- In 2019, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) secured 30 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) obtained 25 seats, a decrease from their 37 seats in 2014. The alliance of JMM, Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) achieved a decisive majority with a total of 47 seats.
- The second phase of the elections is scheduled for November 20, with the counting of votes taking place on November 23.
