The stage is set for voting in the first phase of the two-phase Jharkhand Assembly elections on Wednesday, November 13, when voters in 43 assembly constituencies across 15 districts will go to the polls. The fate of 683 candidates in the fray will be at stake as voters will elect their new MLAs in each of these constituencies. Among the 43 constituencies, 17 are reserved for general seats, 20 for Scheduled Tribes and six for Scheduled Castes.
Also read: Jharkhand: Congress released manifesto a day before voting, promising 250 units of free electricity and caste census.
Prominent names whose fate is hanging in the balance include former Chief Minister Champai Soren, Health Minister Banna Gupta, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, former Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s wife Geeta Koda and former Chief Minister Raghubar Das’s daughter-in-law Purnima Das. Campaigning for the first phase of elections came to an end on Monday. Among the constituencies where voting is taking place on Wednesday, East Singhbhum district has the highest number of 6 seats, followed by Palamu, West Singhbhum and Ranchi districts with 5 seats each, while Koderma and Ramgarh districts have 1 seat each.
The first phase includes Seraikela, Ranchi, Jamshedpur West, Jagannathpur and Jamshedpur East. Former Chief Minister Champai Soren is contesting from Seraikela seat. He joined BJP in August before Jharkhand elections. In Jamshedpur West, Health Minister and Congress candidate Banna Gupta is facing off against JDU leader Saryu Rai, who had defeated then Chief Minister Raghubar Das in the 2019 elections. In Jamshedpur East, Congress candidate Ajoy Kumar will face BJP’s Purnima Das, daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Madhu Koda’s wife and BJP candidate Geeta Koda is contesting against Congress’ Sona Ram Sinku in Jagannathpur. On Ranchi seat, long time BJP MLA CP Singh is contesting from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji. Voting will begin at 7 am in 43 constituencies amid elaborate arrangements at 15,344 polling stations set up across the state.
Also read: Ranchi Assembly Election: Chandeshwar Prasad Singh and Mahua Manji come face to face again in Ranchi, know what is the equation.
The primary contest in Jharkhand is between the JMM-led Grand Alliance (Grand Alliance) and the BJP-led NDA. Of the 43 seats in the first phase, JMM is contesting 23, Congress 17, while Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD has fielded candidates on five seats, two of which are in the fray against members of the alliance. Within the NDA, BJP is contesting on 36 seats, while Sudesh Mahato’s AJSU has fielded candidates on 4 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JDU on 2 seats and Chirag Paswan’s LJP(R) on 1 seat.
