Jharkhand assembly polls: BJP releases first list of 66 candidates, Champai Soren to contest from Saraikela

BJP releases first list of candidates; Champai Soren to contest from Saraikella

The Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP) on Saturday released the first list of 66 candidates for Jharkhand assembly elections. BJP has fielded party president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar and former chief minister Champai Soren from Saraikella. The party named Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of JMM leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren, as its nomine from Jamtara. The list also has the names of Geeta Koda and former Union minister Sudarshan Bhagat.

BJP releases first list of 66 candidates for Jharkhand assembly elections. Its state president Babulal Marandi to contest from Dhanwar, Sita Soren from Jamtara. (n/1)#JharkhandElections2024 #JharkhandAssemblyPolls #BJP pic.twitter.com/nlYU7rpDVN
Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 19, 2024

Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP state president Babulal Marandi won Dhanwar seat in Giridih in 2019 by a margin of 17,550 votes on a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) ticket against his nearest rival Lakshman Prasad Singh of the BJP. Champai Soren, who contested from Seraikela, joined the BJP on August 30, two days after he resigned from the JMM citing "insult" and dissatisfaction with the party's current style of functioning and facing "bitter humiliation".

The joining of the 67-year-old-leader in the BJP was seen as a significant boost for the party's efforts to strengthen its connection with the Scheduled Tribes, a strong support base of the JMM. Champai Soren was appointed chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Soren's resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume office on July 4 after being granted bail. In the 2019 elections, he had won the Seraikela seat on the JMM ticket by a margin of 15,667 votes over his nearest rival Ganesh Mahali of the BJP.

Geeta Kora, the lone Congress MP in the state, had joined the BJP before this year's Lok Sabha elections and contested from the Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat. However, JMM's Joba Majhi won Singhbhum by a huge margin of 1.68 lakh votes defeating her nearest rival Kora.

On getting candidature from Dumka Assembly seat, BJP leader Sunil Soren said to news agency ANI, "I am happy that the party has shown their trust in me and have given me the ticket from Dumka...we will give our 100% and will win the elections. The public will choose us."

On getting candidature from Panki Assembly seat, BJP leader Kushwaha Dr Shashi Bhushan Mehta said to news agency ANI, "We are all prepared for the elections and we will win this seat. I thank the party for showing trust in me and giving me the candidature."

The BJP is contesting 68 of the 81 assembly seats in the state, leaving the rest for its allies. The party is looking to topple the JMM-Congress alliance from power in the two-phase polls scheduled for November 13 and 20.

*With Agency Inputs