Jharkhand election 2023: BJP unveils first list of candidates ahead of November polls

Jharkhand News: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its first list of candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, with notable names fielded in key constituencies. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi will contest from Dhanwar, while Champai Soren has been named as the BJP candidate for Saraikela. Other candidates include Sita Soren from Jamtara, Neera Yadav from Kodarma, Muniya Devi from Gandey, and Tara Devi from Sindri. Apnarna Sengupta will run in Nirsa, Ragini Singh in Jharia, Geeta Balmuchu in Chaibasa, and Pushpa Devi Bhuiyan in Chhatarpur.

Seat-sharing formula and election dates

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has also finalized its seat-sharing arrangement. The BJP will contest 68 seats, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will compete in 10 seats, while Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) will contest in two, and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field a candidate for one seat.

The elections for the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will be held in two phases, on November 13 and November 20. The vote counting is scheduled for November 23, determining the next political leadership in the state.

BJP’s competition and previous election results

In the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance secured a victory with 47 seats—30 won by the JMM and 16 by Congress. The BJP managed to secure 25 seats, while other parties, including JVM-P, AJSU, CPI-ML, NCP, and independents, claimed smaller portions. Currently, the JMM-led alliance holds 44 seats in the 74-member assembly, with the BJP eager to reclaim its ground in the state through strategic candidate selection and alliances.