Jharkhand: Cong-JMM combine gets clear majority, ‘arrogant’ BJP ousted 

Opposition leaders said Jharkhand results have shown that people are not buying BJP’s politics based on divisive issues like CAA and NRC and voters have demolished BJP’s ‘arrogance’

JMM leader Hemant Soren celebrates victory with his supporters in Ranchi on Monday. Soren is set to be the next Chief Minister of Jharkhand. (PTI photo)
JMM leader Hemant Soren celebrates victory with his supporters in Ranchi on Monday. Soren is set to be the next Chief Minister of Jharkhand. (PTI photo)
user

PTI

With 47 seats in its kitty, the Congress-JMM-RJD combine got a clear majority in the Jharkhand Assembly polls whose results were declared on Monday. The majority mark in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly is 41.

The ruling BJP was ousted from power with its outgoing chief minister Raghubar Das failing to save his own seat. Raghubar Das was defeated in his bastion, Jamshedpur East, by his Independent rival and former cabinet colleague Saryu Roy by a huge margin of 15,833 votes.

The BJP was confined to just 25 seats, way below its tally of 2014 elections.

The Results: BJP-25; JMM-30; Congress-16; RJD-01; NCP-01; JVM(P)-03; AJSU Party-02; CPI(ML)-01; Independent-02.

With the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alliance set to form the government in Jharkhand, several Opposition parties on Monday linked the mandate to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, saying people have demolished BJP’s arrogance.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's working president Hemant Soren, the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, said with the electoral mandate, a new chapter begins which will prove to be a milestone.

Speaking to the media, he said the coalition partners will meet to chalk out the strategy for the future.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulated the party, its coalition partners and workers on the decisive victory of the alliance in Jharkhand, while party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the people want to hear from the government on employment, bread, water, forest, land, farming and trade, but the BJP tried its best to "divide the people to hide its failed politics".

Celebrations outside state Congress office after the results became clear on Monday.
Celebrations outside state Congress office after the results became clear on Monday.

"Today the public's answer has come. Congratulations to all the members of the grand alliance. Congratulations to Hemant Soren. Congratulations and love to the Congress workers," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress leader P Chidambaram said the BJP is not unbeatable and urged Opposition parties to join forces against the ruling saffron party.

Congratulating Soren, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said people have faith that he would fulfil their aspirations.

Banerjee also said that elections were held amid protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed countrywide NRC, and extended good wishes to the "brothers and sisters" of the neighbouring state for voting in favour of the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance.


The Sharad Pawar-led NCP said people of Jharkhand have demolished the "arrogance" of Modi and the saffron party president Shah.

The Shiv Sena, which recently severed ties with the BJP, said the Jharkhand polls have shown that people are not buying the saffron party's politics based on sentimental issues like the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Jharkhand results appeared to be a verdict against the NRC and the CAA, and reflected the public reaction to the "arrogance" of the BJP visible across the country.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo also said the BJP leaders have "aggressively" campaigned in the last two phases of the Jharkhand Assembly polls, raising the issues related to the CAA and the NRC.

Meanwhile, outgoing Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das took responsibility for the electoral verdict, saying it was his defeat and not of the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Soren for the victory and extended his best wishes to the alliance while BJP president Amit Shah said his party respects the mandate of voters.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao attributed the party's loss in Jharkhand to "local issues", and said "internal strife" also appeared to have a significant fall out.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Google News, Instagram 

Join our official telegram channel (@nationalherald) and stay updated with the latest headlines


Published: 23 Dec 2019, 10:02 PM