Jharkhand poll results: In Ranchi, it's a one-man show

New Delhi: A sympathy wave continuing in Hemant Soren's favour, focus on local issues, consolidation of tribals and minorities against the BJP's high-pitched campaign of infiltration, became the trump card for the JMM led INDIA alliance in Jharkhand. It was a one man show for JMM executive president and chief minister of the state Hemant Soren well backed by his wife and MLA Kalpana Soren and allies like Congress, RJD and CPI (ML)(L).

In June this year, when Hemant Soren came out of jail after five months, he wore a different look. Long hair, grey beard just like his father Shibu Soren - called Dishom Guru, he started reaching out to his voter base differently as a face of resistance against the BJP which tried every bit to dethrone him. In July he took the reins of the state once again which led to senior leader and Soren's Champai Chacha drifting towards the BJP. But that didn't deter him. Soren knew that Champai Soren is a revered leader among tribals. Through his campaign, he didn't utter a word against Champai even when campaigning in his constituency Saraikela. With the gesture he came across as the tallest tribal leader of the state, who has now taken his party to new heights, winning 34 seats, a highest till date and leading the INDIA alliance to win 56, a highest tally for any government in the state.

When BJP leaders from the Centre and other states raised the pitch on infiltration and demographic change, Soren termed them as outsiders trying to divide the state. His promise for Sarna code for tribals further took him closer to the tribal voters who perceived Hemant Soren as their leader. The result was that the INDIA alliance won 27 out of 28 ST reserved seats in the state, retaining the Kolhan and Santhal forts while gaining new grounds in Palamu and the coal belt of the state.


Over the last one month, Soren addressed more than 200 rallies and toured the entire state canvassing for JMM as well as his allies' candidates. He was the local star campaigner who stood against the massive election machinery of the BJP.

Helping him in the campaign was his wife and another star campaigner Kalpana, who became a leader in her own right when Soren was in jail. Kalpana Soren was as much in demand for campaigning as was Hemant Soren and together the couple addressed more than four hundred rallies.