INDIA bloc to fight Jharkhand election together, seat sharing details to be revealed later

The INDIA bloc on Saturday announced that it would contest the Jharkhand assembly election together. The Congress-JMM alliance will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats, said Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. However, he added that the exact seat sharing arrangements would be revealed later.

Further, Soren said the seat-sharing talks are on with alliance partners RJD, Left parties for 11 of 81 seats.

"INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls together. It has been decided during the seat-sharing talks with the allies that the Congress and the JMM will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats," Soren said after meeting with the alliance partners here.


He said the decision was taken after consultations with allies and candidates would be announced soon.
Soren said the JMM-led alliance was confident of retaining power in the state on the back of its development work.

On Friday, the NDA shared the expected seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly Elections.


"As of now, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will contest 10 seats, Janata Dal (United) will get 2 seats, and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest 1 seat," said Assam Chief Minister and BJP Jharkhand assembly election co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Jharkhand Election Dates

The Jharkhand assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20, while the counting of votes will take place on November 23.

A total of 2.60 crore electors, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 1.13 lakh persons with disabilities (PwD), third gender and senior citizens over 85 years of age, are likely to exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections.

The date for scrutiny of nominations is October 28, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures has been fixed as October 30 for the first phase of elections, the official said.


The 43 constituencies going to polls on November 13 include Kodarma, Barkatha, Barhi, Barkagaon, Hazaribagh, Baharagora, Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Ichagarh, Ranchi, Hatia, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur.

The ST constituencies are Ghatsila, Potka, Seraikella, Chaibasa, Majhgaon, Jaganathpur, Manoharpur, Chakradharpur, Kharsawan, Tamar, Torpa, Khunti, Mandar, Sisai, Gumla, Bishunpur, Simdega, Kolebira, Lohardaga and Manika.

In addition, SC constituencies – Simaria, Chatra, Jugsalai, Kanke, Latehar and Chhatarpur – are also scheduled to go to polls on November 13.

What happened in the 2019 election

In 2019, the JMM-led alliance won 47 seats in the Jharkhand assembly, including 30 of JMM and 16 of the Congress.
The BJP had secured 25 seats, JVM-P 3, AJSU Party 2, CPI-ML 1, NCP- 1 and independents 2.

Currently, the strength of the assembly stands at 74, with the JMM-led ruling alliance having 44 members.

Two JMM legislators, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, are now members of Parliament, while Jama legislator Sita Soren resigned to contest the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket.

Additionally, Borio MLA Lobin Hembrom was recently disqualified under the anti-defection law.
Similarly, the BJP's strength has decreased to 23, with two of its MLAs—Dhulu Mahto (Baghmara) and Manish Jaiswal (Hazaribag)—now serving as MPs.

Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel, who joined Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, was also disqualified under the anti-defection law.