Jharkhand is gearing up for its 2024 Legislative Assembly election, with voting scheduled to take place in two phases on November 13 and 20. The results will be announced on November 23. This election is crucial as it will determine the fate of the state’s 81-member Assembly.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance is facing a tough challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NDA is confident of winning 45-50 seats, while the JMM-Congress combine is expected to secure 18-25 seats.
The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance, also known as the Mahagathbandhan, is led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The NDA, on the other hand, comprises the BJP, All Jharkhand Students Union, Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The BJP has focused its campaign on addressing tribal issues and winning back the key tribal vote bloc. The party has also emphasized the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators, demographic change, and the promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state to shore up Hindu votes.
The BJP is contesting 68 seats, while its allies AJSU, JD(U), and LJP are contesting 10, 2, and 1 seats, respectively. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has allocated 43 seats to JMM, 30 to Congress, and 7 to RJD. The outcome of this election will be crucial in determining the future of Jharkhand. Will the ruling alliance retain power, or will the NDA make a comeback? The answer will be revealed on November 23.
