Jharkhand Polls Pan Out for Nail Biting Finish

Jharkhand Elections May Throw Narrow Margin Wins in Several Assembly Seats

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, November 10: With seven days to go for the people to cast their votes, Jharkhand Assembly elections seem setting up for a nail-biting finish. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the saffron campaign in Jharkhand. Incumbent Chief Minister Hemant Soren is banking on consolidation of the core vote base to ward off the saffron onslaught.

The prime minister-led campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on headline-grabbing planks. The anti-illegal immigrant poll plank of the BJP is aiming for polarisation in border districts.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is asserting hold over the tribal vote base. The JMM has got the Congress to back promise to give a distinct ‘Sarna Dharma’ identity to the tribal population.

Also Read: Hemant Soren Raises Conspiracy Call with Aim at EC

The BJP is seemingly on the backfoot in making inroads in JMM’s hold over the tribal vote base. The JMM-led ruling alliance by wresting 26 of the total 28 reserved seats had shown one-sided dominance in key catchment vote base.

The BJP is struggling to make inroads in the tribal vote base for lack of leadership at the state levels. The BJP’s top tribal campaigners in the state – Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda, Champai Soren – are not able to galvanise the saffron campaign per ground reports.

The BJP’s strong pitch against the illegal Bangladeshi migrants has some resonance in a few districts bordering West Bengal. In regions such as Kolhan, Palamu, and Chota Nagpur, the BJP is facing stiff challenge to build campaign on the ground.

The BJP is hopeful that the party’s alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), headed by Sudesh Mahto, will repair the damages done to the saffron camp in the 2019 Assembly elections. Mahto, Kurmi, caste is influential in at least a dozen Assembly seats.

Also Read: South Chota Nagpur Holds Pivot for Jharkhand Assembly Elections 

Mahto is himself contesting from the Sili Assembly seat. The BJP had failed to rope in AJSU in the 2019 Assembly polls. The failure cost the BJP dearly with Mahto damaging the saffron candidates in several of the seats.

The Ranchi-based political observers argue that Mahto may be able to give strength to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Jharkhand. But Sudesh Mahto in some sections is being seen as past his prime. A little-known Tiger Jairam Mahto has fielded several candidates to gain base in the Kumi caste electorate.

While the JMM-led Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is also facing rebels, the strength of rebellion is more against the BJP per local political observers.

With 81 Assembly seats at the stake, several of the Assembly seats may see narrow victory margins per political observers. They assert that the outcome of the polls on November 23 could throw a nail-biting finish.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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