Jharkhand elections phase 1: BJP, INDIA bloc brace for high-stakes clash

The first phase of polling for 43 assembly seats in Jharkhand will be held on Wednesday, with the ruling INDIA bloc and the opposition BJP locked in a fierce fight. The remaining seats will go to polls on November 23 while the votes will be counted on November 23.

The 43 seats that go to polls on Wednesday included 17 general, 20 ST and six SC.

While the Congress-JMM alliance looks to retain power, the BJP hopes to improve its tally in the tribal dominated state. In the 2019 elections, the JMM-Congress-RJD combo won 25 seats while the saffron party managed to win only 13.

Six ministers and several other prominent leaders are in the fray in the first phase of polls. Former chief minister Champai Soren, who quit JMM and joined the BJP, is contesting from Sereikella, his traditional stronghold. Soren won this seat six times since 1991, only facing defeat in 2000.

In Jamshedpur East, Congress' Ajoy Kumar will take on Purnima Das Sahu, daughter-in-law of former Jharkhand chief minister and current Odisha Governor Raghubar Das. 

State health minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta is in direct contest against JD(U)’s Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur West. Both Gupta and Roy have won this seat twice.

In Lohardaga, Congress minister Rameshwar Oraon is pitted against Neeru Shanti Bhagat of the AJSU Party. Oraon is likely to face a tough challenge this time as AJSU has entered a poll alliance with the BJP.

BJP's Geeta Koda, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, is pitted against Congress leader Sona Ram Sinku in Jaganathpur.

Garhwa constituency will witness a triangular contest with Minister Mithilesh Thakur defending his seat against BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwari and Samajwadi Party’s former minister Girinath Singh.

In Ranchi, former Speaker and BJP minister C.P. Singh will take on JMM’s Dr Mahua Maji, a Rajya Sabha MP.

List of constituencies going to polls in first phase

1. Kodarma

2. Barkatha

3. Barhi

4. Barkagaon

5. Hazaribagh

6. Simaria (SC)

7. Chatra (SC)

8. Baharagora

9. Ghatsila (ST)

10. Potka (ST)

11. Jugsalai (SC)

12. Jamshedpur East

13. Jamshedpur West

14. Ichagarh

15. Seraikella (ST)

16. Chaibasa (ST)

17. Majhgaon (ST)

18. Jaganathpur (ST)

19. Manoharpur (ST)

20. Chakradharpur (ST)

21. Kharsawan (ST)

22. Tamar (ST)

23. Torpa (ST)

24. Khunti (ST)

25. Ranchi

26. Hatia

27. Kanke (SC)

28. Mandar (ST)

29. Sisai (ST)

30. Gumla (ST)

31. Bishunpur (ST)

32. Simdega (ST)

33. Kolebira (ST)

34. Lohardaga (ST)

35. Manika (ST)

36. Latehar (SC)

37. Panki

38. Daltonganj

39. Bishrampur

40. Chhatarpur (SC)

41. Hussainabad

42. Garhwa

43. Bhawanathpur