BJP Releases Initial List of 66 Candidates for Jharkhand Assembly Elections
Ranchi, 19th October 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its initial list of 66 candidates for the forthcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, released on Saturday.
Babulal Marandi, the state party president, will run from Dhanwar. The BJP has also fielded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) defectors Sita Soren from Jamtara and former Chief Minister Champai Soren from Saraikella.
Additionally, the party has nominated Geeta Balmuchu for Chaibasa, Geeta Koda—wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda—for Jaganathpur, and Meera Munda for Potka.
Elections for the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will take place in two phases on November 13 and November 20, as announced by the Election Commission. The vote counting will occur on November 23.
On Friday, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) revealed its seat-sharing arrangement among partners. The BJP will contest 68 seats, while the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will field candidates in 10 seats. The Janata Dal (United) will contest 2 seats, and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will compete for 1 seat.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that the INDIA coalition will jointly contest the upcoming assembly elections, with the Congress and JMM planning to field candidates for 70 of the 81 seats.
Discussions regarding seat-sharing are ongoing with alliance partners, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties, for the remaining 11 seats.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the JMM, as part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), contested 43 seats, the Congress 31, and the RJD 7. The UPA emerged victorious with 47 seats, while the BJP secured 25.
