The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (October 19, 2024) evening released the first list of candidates for Jharkhand Assembly elections. The names of 66 candidates were announced by the party’s central election committee.
BJP State unit president Babulal Marandi has retained his seat from Dhanwar whereas senior leader C.P. Singh managed to hold on to his Ranchi candidature. Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri, also retained his seat from Chandankiyari Assembly seat.
Erstwhile Chief Minister Champai Soren, who left the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to join the BJP is set to contest from Saraikela while his son Babulal Soren will contest form Ghatshila.
Former MP Arjun Munda’s wife Meera Munda has been given a ticket from Potka. Former Union Minister Arjun Munda had faced defeat in the Khunti Lok Sabha seat against Congress’ candidate Kalicharan Munda in this year’s Lok Sabha election.
In the National Democratic Alliance seat sharing the BJP got 68 seats in its kitty, whereas the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) received 10, followed by two seats for the Janata Dal (United), and the Union Minister Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was given a single seat. Announcement on the remaining two seats will be made later.
The announcement comes hours after Chief Minister Hemant Soren declared that the Congress and the ruling JMM will contest in 70 of the 81 Assembly seats whereas remaining 11 seats have been left for allies Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Left.
The list also names Sita Murmu Soren, the daughter-in-law of JMM founder Shibu Soren from Jamtara. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, she had quit the JMM to join the BJP; she had contested from Dumka but was defeated at the time.
Also read:Jharkhand Assembly elections: NDA announces seat-sharing arrangement
The party has also given a ticket to Purnima Das Sahu, daughter-in-law of former CM and Odisha Governor Raghubar Das from Jamshedpur East which he had won five times.
Amit Yadav who had joined the BJP before the announcement of the election has been made candidate from Barkatha whereas former Congress leader Manju Devi, who had joined the BJP before the elections, has also been made candidate from Jamua.
Out of 66 candidates, the BJP has given tickets to 12 women candidates including Geeta Koda, wife of former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda from Jagannathpur who had faced defeat from the JMM’s candidate in Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat.
The two seats BJP has not announced its candidates include Barhait Assembly constituency presently represented by CM Hemant Soren and Tundi occupied by the JMM.
Three sitting MLAs Kishun Kumar Das from Simariya, Indrajeet Mahato from Sindri, and Samri Lal from Kanke have been dropped by party.
Published - October 19, 2024 10:42 pm IST
