RANCHI: Several political parties, including JMM, Congress, RJD, BJP, Ajsu-P, JD(U), LJP(R) and newly formed JKLM along with 1,128 candidates in total are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle of ballots, which will be declared on Saturday. Of two political camps – the BJP-led NDA – has been favoured by most exit polls to beat the
INDIA bloc
led by JMM to form the next govt in Jharkhand.
With the
voter turnout
across the 81 assembly constituencies, which went to polls in two phases (Nov 13 and Nov 20), posting an all-time high turnout of over 67% since the state’s inception in 2000, both camps on Friday claimed that they would form the next govt by comfortably crossing the majority mark of 41 seats. Counting is expected to commence at 8 am. As candidates spent anxious moments, heavyweights like Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana held meetings with the party’s senior leadership about preparations for the counting day. BJP state president Babulal Marandi, who is a candidate from the Dhanwar assembly segment in Giridih district, held meetings with the party’s booth committee members at the party office here on Friday.
Saturday’s counting will be a test of the Hemant-led govt’s key welfare schemes, including the
Maiya Samman Yojana
, Abua Awas Yojana, universal pension schemes for the elderly, widows and the differently abled, and the old pension scheme for the state govt employees. It will also be a test of popularity and acceptance for Hemant himself following his arrest by the ED and a five-month imprisonment in a land scam case earlier this year.
The election comes close on the heels of the Lok Sabha polls, where the NDA won nine out of the 14 parliamentary seats in the state, while the INDIA bloc won only five. The electoral battle was also played out three months after Hemant, who served five months in jail, took over the reins of the govt on July 4 after deposing his “chacha” Champai Soren. Miffed, Champai crossed over to BJP a month later.
BJP with its allies Ajsu-P, JD(U), and LJP (R), based its campaigning on attacking the outgoing Hemant govt over corruption, question paper leaks of recruitment tests and the death of excise constable aspirants. However, the thrust of BJP was the alleged changing demographics of the tribal hinterlands of the state due to the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. Its star campaigners like PM Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, attacked JMM and Congress over the issue, with Modi and Yogi raising slogans such as “Ek rahenge toh safe rahenge” and “Batenge toh Katenge”.
While BJP fielded candidates on 68 seats, Ajsu-P contested 10. Their ally JD(U) fought on two seats, while LJP (R) contested on one seat. On the other hand, JMM fought 43 seats, while Congress fielded candidates on 30 seats. RJD and CPI-ML contested in four seats each.
High turnout of women voters in the state indicated that the INDIA bloc’s announcement of hiking the monthly stipends under its Maiya Samman Yojana and BJP’s promise of ‘Go go Didi Yojana’ struck a chord with them. INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, attempted to woo the electorate by promising a caste census and increasing the reservation ceiling from the existing 50%.
“We have given respect and recognition to the state’s women in the past five years and presented a clear roadmap for the state before the people. Unlike BJP, we did not campaign on baseless statements. That is why we are confident of a great result tomorrow,” said Ghulam Ahmed Mir, the AICC’s Jharkhand-in-charge, on Friday.
BJP spokesperson Ajay Shah claimed NDA will clean sweep most of the seats in Kolhan and Santhal Pargana regions, helping it to clinch 60% of the seats. “We will be in a comfortable position to form the govt,” he claimed.
