INDIA bloc, BJP brace for high-stake clash as J’khand votes in phase 1 today
New Delhi: Voters in Jharkhand will head to the polling booths on Wednesday for the first phase of the state’s Assembly elections, with 43 constituencies spread across 15 districts up for grabs. Simultaneously, a slew of bypolls will be held across 10 states and Kerala’s high-profile Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
In Jharkhand, the fate of 683 candidates across 43 constituencies will be decided on November 13. These seats are spread across districts such as East Singhbhum, Ranchi, and Palamu, with some high-profile constituencies attracting significant attention. The 43 seats are divided into 17 general seats, 20 reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and 6 for Scheduled Castes. The stage is set for what promises to be an intense battle, with political heavyweights such as former Chief Minister Champai Soren, Health Minister Banna Gupta, and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji all vying for victory.
Prominent constituencies in the first phase include Saraikela, Jamshedpur West, Jagannathpur, and Ranchi, where key figures from both the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance and the Opposition BJP-led NDA are contesting. Champai Soren, who recently joined the BJP after leaving the JMM, will contest from Saraikela, a seat that holds symbolic importance. In Jamshedpur West, Banna Gupta, representing Congress, faces off against Saryu Roy of the JD(U), who is best known for defeating former Chief Minister Raghubar Das in the 2019 elections. In Ranchi, the BJP’s CP Singh will compete against Mahua Maji, a JMM leader and current Rajya Sabha MP.
The overarching contest is between the JMM-led block and the BJP-led NDA. The INDI Alliance comprises the JMM, Congress, and RJD, while the NDA is represented by the BJP, JD(U), AJSU, and LJP (R). Of the 43 constituencies in this phase, the JMM is contesting 23, Congress 17, and the RJD five seats. The BJP, on the other hand, is fielding candidates in 36 seats, with smaller partners like AJSU and JD(U) contesting in the remaining constituencies.
The stakes are high, particularly for the JMM-led alliance, which has governed the state with a coalition of Congress and RJD since the 2019 elections. The ruling alliance has 44 seats in the current 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, and the outcome of these elections could determine its future in the state. The BJP, after a tumultuous phase in Jharkhand politics, is hoping to regain its stronghold, especially by appealing to the tribal population, which forms a significant part of the electorate.
Polling for the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections will begin at 7 am on November 13, with voting continuing until 5 PM, although some polling stations will close at 4 pm. The Election Commission has made extensive preparations, with 15,344 polling stations set up across the state, including 1,152 stations managed entirely by women. Despite security concerns, the Election Commission has ensured that tight measures are in place to handle any issues of election malpractice, with authorities seizing illegal materials and cash amounting to Rs 179.14 crore since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, where Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut. Priyanka faces a key test not only to hold onto the party’s stronghold but also to widen the victory margin achieved by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, in the last two elections.
In 2019, Rahul Gandhi won the Wayanad seat by a margin of over 4.3 lakh votes, and this year, his victory margin was over 3.5 lakh votes. Priyanka, pitted against LDF’s Sathyan Mokeri, NDA’s Navya Haridas, and 13 other candidates, will be under immense pressure to deliver a strong performance and solidify the Congress’s hold on this seat.
Beyond Jharkhand and Wayanad, the bypolls will be held in 31 assembly seats across 10 states, including Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, and Meghalaya.
In Rajasthan, bypolls will be held in seven seats, including Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Chaurasi, Salumbar, and Ramgarh. The Salumbar and Ramgarh seats were necessitated due to the demise of the sitting MLAs.
West Bengal will witness bypolls in six seats, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) having won five of these seats in the 2021 assembly elections. The Madarihat seat was previously held by the BJP.
Assam will see bypolls in five seats – Dholai, Behali, Samaguri, Bongaigaon, and Sidli. The INDIA bloc’s unity was tested here, as the Congress decided to field its own candidate in Behali, disagreeing with the alliance’s resolution to give the seat to CPI(ML) Liberation.
In Bihar, bypolls will be held in four seats: Ramgarh, Tarari, Imamganj, and Belaganj.
Karnataka will witness bypolls in three seats, including Channapatna, where JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy is contesting, and Shiggaon, where BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s son, Bharath Bommai.
The other seats going to bypolls are Budhni and Vijaypur in Madhya Pradesh, Chelakkara in Kerala, Vav in Gujarat, Raipur City South in Chhattisgarh, and Gambegre (ST) in Meghalaya.
