JMM-Cong- RJD alliance gets majority in Jharkhand Assembly, Roy stuns CM Raghubar Das

Shashank Shekhar

Ranchi (Jharkhand) : JMM-Congress- RJD alliance inflicted a demoralising defeat on ruling BJP in Jharkhand Assembly Polls winning 47 seats in the 81-Member House with results of 1 seat, where an Independent is leading, is still to be declared. CM and senior BJP leader Raghubar Das suffered humiliating defeat in Jamshedpur East Assembly Constituency (AC) losing to Independent Saryu Roy, a former Member of his cabinet. The JMM has won 30 seats while Congress and RJD have won 16 and 1 seats respectively.

JMM Leader Hemant Soren, who is likely to be the next chief Minister of Jharkhand, minister registered impressive victories from both Dumka and Barhait ( Sahibganj District) ACs.

The BJP, which had contested 79 seats and had supported an Independent in one constituency and also did not field its nominee against AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto in another AC, has won 25 seats. The NCP and CPI(ML) (Liberation) have won one seat each while Jharkhand Vikas Morcha ( Prajatantrik) has won 3 seats though it had fielded its candidates from all the 81 ACs. AJSU has won 2 seats.

Independent Saryu Roy defeated CM Raghubar Das by over 15,833 votes in Jamshedpur East AC. But, BJP candidate  Chandreshwar Prasad Singh won the Ranchi seats for the 6th time. The BJP’s performance would have been still worse had PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah did not campaign extensively for the BJP nominees. The JD(U) drew a blank in Jharkhand Assembly polls.

Das termed the poll results as his defeat not that of BJP. ” It is my defeat,” Das said.