Congress Releases First List of Candidates for Jharkhand Assembly Polls

New Delhi, October 22, 2024: The Congress party has announced its first list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, featuring prominent figures like State Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, senior leader Ajoy Kumar, and Health Minister Banna Gupta.

Rameshwar Oraon will be contesting from the Lohardaga (ST) seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Banna Gupta is set to contest from Jamshedpur West, while Ajoy Kumar will vie for a seat from Jamshedpur East. Voting for the state assembly will take place in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with results being declared on November 23.

INDIA Bloc’s United Front:

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has confirmed that the INDIA bloc parties will contest the Jharkhand elections together. The alliance will see the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress jointly contesting 70 of the 81 seats in the assembly. The remaining seats will be allocated to other allies in the INDIA bloc, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties, with discussions currently underway.

BJP’s Alliance and Candidate Announcement:

Earlier on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 66 candidates. Key figures include state BJP chief Babulal Marandi, who will contest from Dhanwar, and former Chief Minister Champai Soren, nominated from Saraikella. Other notable nominations are Lobin Hembrom from Borio, Geeta Koda from Jaganathpur, and Meera Munda, wife of Union Minister Arjun Munda, from Potka.

The BJP will be contesting the elections in alliance with several parties, including the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Under this coalition, BJP will contest 68 seats, AJSU will field candidates in 10 seats, JD-U will contest two, and LJP will contest one seat.

2019 Assembly Election Recap:

In the 2019 assembly elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and RJD were part of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) coalition. The alliance achieved a significant victory, securing 47 out of 81 seats, while the BJP managed to win only 25 seats. JMM had contested 43 seats, Congress 31, and RJD seven in the previous elections.

The upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections are anticipated to be a crucial test for both alliances, as they seek to gain an upper hand in the state politics. With key leaders and alliances in place, the battle for Jharkhand is set to intensify in the coming weeks.