JMM releases 36 candidates’ names for Jharkhand polls
Ranchi: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday released its first list of 35 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, fielding key leaders, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren from the Barhait constituency and his wife, Kalpana Soren, from the Gandey segment. Later the same day, JMM unveiled its second list, announcing Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji as the candidate for Ranchi.
The Assembly elections in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the results set to be declared on November 23.
Hemant Soren, the sitting MLA from Barhait, is contesting to retain the seat he won by a significant margin of 25,740 votes over BJP rival Simon Malto in the 2019 elections. His wife, Kalpana Soren, previously secured a victory in the Gandey by-poll, winning by 27,149 votes after the seat became vacant due to the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad.
Among the 35 candidates on the JMM’s first list are several key figures. Basant Soren, Hemant Soren’s younger brother, will contest from Dumka, a traditional JMM stronghold. Basant Soren had previously defeated BJP’s Lois Marandi in the 2019 election by a margin of 6,842 votes. In 2019, Hemant Soren had contested from both Dumka and Barhait, choosing to retain the latter after winning both seats.
Other prominent candidates include Assembly Speaker Rabindranath Mahto from Nala, Minister Mithilesh Thakur from Garhwa, and Bebi Devi from Dumri. The list also features new entrants such as Kedar Hazara, a three-term BJP MLA who recently joined the JMM, now contesting from Jamua.
Mahua Maji, named in the second list, will represent the JMM in Ranchi. She was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in 2022 and has served as the chairperson of the Jharkhand State Commission for Women. Maji had previously contested the Ranchi Assembly seat in 2014 and 2019 but was defeated both times by BJP’s CP Singh, a six-time legislator. Maji has expressed confidence in her candidacy, vowing to bring development to Ranchi, which she alleges has been neglected under Singh’s tenure.
Maji’s nomination has sparked some tensions within the INDIA alliance, particularly with the Congress. In 2022, Congress had expressed dissatisfaction over JMM’s decision to field Maji for the Rajya Sabha, citing discrepancies between discussions in Delhi and the final decision made by JMM.
In terms of seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming polls, JMM and Congress will jointly contest 70 of the 81 seats, while 11 will be divided among the RJD and Left parties. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP is contesting 68 seats, with the AJSU Party, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas) competing for the remaining seats.
As the nomination process for the first phase of the elections, covering 43 constituencies, commenced on Friday, the electorate of 2.6 crore voters, including over 11 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh persons with disabilities, third-gender individuals, and senior citizens, are preparing to cast their votes in one of Jharkhand’s most closely watched elections.
