A total of 683 candidates will compete across 43 Assembly constituencies on 13 November.
NEW DELHI: Both the NDA and I.N.D.I.A blocs are aiming to make a significant impact in the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, scheduled for Wednesday, 13 November. The first phase will be a crucial test for several notable political figures, including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, who is contesting on a BJP ticket after leaving the JMM. Likewise, Saryu Rai is running under the Janata Dal United banner for the first time, while Congress leader Sona Ram Sinku is vying for a seat in the Jaganathpur constituency.
With campaigning concluded for this first phase, a total of 683 candidates will compete across 43 Assembly constituencies on 13 November. Key battlegrounds in this phase include high-profile seats like Seraikella, Ranchi, Jamshedpur West, Jaganathpur, and Jamshedpur East. The second phase is scheduled for 20 November.
Here is a look at some key seats going to the polls on Wednesday.
RANCHI: In Ranchi, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has nominated sitting Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji to compete against the BJP’s six-term MLA C.P. Singh.
SERAIKELA: Former Chief Minister and veteran JMM leader Champai Soren, who recently joined the BJP, is contesting from Seraikela on a BJP ticket for the first time, after winning this seat six times under the JMM banner. He faces his rival, Ganesh Mahli of JMM.
POTKA: Meera Munda, wife of former Union Minister and BJP leader Arjun Munda, will contest from Potka in Kolhan. The BJP hopes to improve its performance here after failing to win in the region during the 2019 Assembly elections.
CHAIBASA: Chaibasa has long been a JMM stronghold, and this time the party has fielded Deepak Birua, who has won here for three consecutive terms. On the other hand, the BJP has chosen Geeta Balmuchu, former president of the Chaibasa Municipal Council, as its candidate against Birua.
JAMSHEDPUR WEST: Congress Health Minister Banna Gupta faces a tough contest from Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Saryu Roy. Saryu Roy, now contesting as a JDU candidate for the first time, previously defeated Gupta as a BJP candidate in 2005 and 2009, while Gupta beat Roy in 2014. In 2019, Roy defeated Das by running independently in Jamshedpur East.
LATEHAR: In Latehar, a fierce contest is expected between JMM and BJP. JMM MLA and minister Baidyanath Ram is up against the BJP’s Prakash Ram. In 2019, Baidyanath, who had joined JMM, defeated Prakash, making this face-off highly anticipated.
JAMSHEDPUR EAST: Congress candidate Ajoy Kumar will take on BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu from this seat.
JAGANATHPUR: In Jaganathpur, BJP’s Geeta Koda, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, will challenge Congress leader Sona Ram Sinku.
LOHARDAGA: An interesting battle is shaping up in Lohardaga, where JMM MLA and minister Rameshwar Oraon faces AJSU’s Neeru Shanti Bhagat, wife of late former MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat. Oraon’s reputation is on the line in this high-stakes race.
GARHWA: In Garhwa, JMM minister Mithilesh Thakur is up against BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwari. Thakur won his first election in 2019, defeating Tiwari by 23,522 votes and securing a ministerial position. In recent years, no party has won this seat consecutively, with Tiwari winning twice, first with JVM in 2009 and then with BJP in 2014.
The state has a total of 2.59 crore registered voters, including 1.31 crore men and 1.28 crore women. Among them are over 11.05 lakh first-time voters aged 18-19, 1.14 lakh senior citizens aged 85 and above, and 3.64 lakh voters with disabilities (PwD). Additionally, more than 900 centenarians, including 533 women, are eligible to vote in the 43 constituencies set to go to the polls in the first phase on November 13. Jharkhand has a total of 82 Assembly seats.