Jharkhand Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Hemant Soren to take oath as Jharkhand CM on November 28

A day after the election result did not turn out as expected for BJP, its Jharkhand poll co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he had never claimed victory for the party as it was a challenging state. Sarma, who was at the forefront throughout BJP's poll campaign, nevertheless, praised the efforts of the party cadre despite the outcome.

"Whenever you had asked me here about Jharkhand, I had said that it is a difficult state. I never claimed that we would win. It was a tough job for our party to fight there but we did a good job under the given circumstances," he said.

Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance secured a resounding victory in Jharkhand, clinching a second consecutive term by winning 56 of the 81 seats in the assembly. Despite an intense campaign effort by the BJP-led NDA, they managed to secure only 24 seats.

The Assam chief minister urged the newly elected JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of identifying and deporting infiltrators from the state. "Taking action against infiltration is a constitutional obligation of the government. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to speculate on how much they will accomplish. As the chief minister of Assam, I have no further comments on the matter. I said what I needed to during my tenure as the party’s co-in-charge," the BJP leader said.

"No government should compromise on the matter of infiltration as the end result will be demographic change, which will impact all," he added. Further, Sarma reiterated his concerns about infiltration in Jharkhand, urging BJP's newly elected MLAs to bring up the issue in the assembly.

"I firmly believe that the problem of infiltration will pose significant challenges for Jharkhand in the future. It is your (JMM's) government, and I appeal to you to either identify or push back these infiltrators. This is your constitutional duty," he added.

Sarma expressed confidence that the Jharkhand government would take responsibility for addressing the issue.He also called on BJP legislators to fulfill their role as opposition members by actively raising concerns about infiltration in the assembly.

Earlier on Saturday, as the election results confirmed the JMM-Congress alliance's victory, Sarma expressed deep disappointment over the BJP's performance in Jharkhand. Despite his dismay, Sarma congratulated the JMM on its resounding win while underscoring the NDA's commitment to protecting Jharkhand from alleged infiltration and promoting its development.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the BJP leadership will decide who will be the next chief minister of the state. Addressing a press conference here, Bawankule said all sections of the society supported the BJP in the Maharashtra assembly polls and rejected the Congress. He pointed out that the Congress' state unit chief Nana Patole managed to win with a wafer thin margin of around 200 votes in Sakoli seat. The BJP-led Mahayuti, which also comprises the Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, on Saturday retained power in the state by bagging 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream of wresting power fizzled, with the opposition combine managing to garner just 46 seats. The BJP bagged 132 seats, the Shiv Sena won 57, while the NCP got 41 seats. In the MVA, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates won 10 seats, Congress won 16, while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) won 20 seats.


Answering a query on the state's next chief minister, Bawankule said the decision would be taken by the Mahayuti leaders and the BJP's parliamentary board. The selection process would be in-line with the alliance's plans for governance, he added. The people of Maharashtra have "rejected" the Congress and Patole should pay heed to some of his own colleagues who have been seeking his resignation as the state party chief, Bawankule said. The Congress' "lies" during the poll campaign were to blame for no party getting enough seats to stake claim for the post of leader of opposition in the assembly. Notably, the Mahayuti's landslide in Maharashtra will leave the state assembly without a leader of opposition as no party outside the ruling alliance has been able to get the mandatory minimum 29 seats. "The mandate of the people in this assembly election is against Congress. Having no leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly is the karma of Congress," Bawankule said.

Bawankule referred to the Congress' previous successes, particularly in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, claiming the opposition party had been misleading the people. "The Congress succeeded in fooling the people during the Lok Sabha campaign, but it failed to repeat that success in this assembly election," he said. Targeting Patole, he said the Congress leader was dreaming of becoming the chief minister, but he has just about managed to win his seat with the help of postal votes. "If he does not learn a lesson from this outcome, he may not be there in the House after the next assembly poll," Bawankule said. The Maharashtra BJP chief said the party plans to launch a major membership drive in the state.

JMM leader Hemant Soren on Sunday met Jharkhand governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and staked claim to form the government, soon after leaders of the INDIA bloc in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader. He resigned as the chief minister, before staking claim to form the government. He will officiate as the acting chief minister till oath is administered to him on November 28.

"I met the governor. We staked claim to form the government, and handed over support letter of alliance partners to him. He invited us to form the government. The swearing in ceremony will be held on November 28," Soren told reporters after meeting Gangwar.

Soren, who drove to the Raj Bhavan in his car, said the governor asked him to officiate as the acting chief minister in the interim.

Soren will be sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. He will be sworn in as the chief minister for the fourth term.

Earlier, leaders and MLAs of the alliance, during a meeting at Hemant Soren's residence here, unanimously elected him as the coalition's leader.

Congress's Jharkhand in-charge and party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and senior party leader Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides legislators of the coalition parties.

In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24 seats.

The majority mark in the state assembly is 41 seats.

Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes.

Soren had to resign as the CM in January before being arrested by the ED in a money laundering case.

He is out on bail after he was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED.

Hemant Soren, the son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, began his political career in 2009 as a Rajya Sabha member, but his tenure in the upper House of Parliament was short-lived.

Jharkhand CM and JMM executive president Hemant Soren said that the oath ceremony of the new government will take place on 28 November.

He added, "Today we have started the procedure to form the (INDIA) alliance government and in that series, we have staked a claim to form Government in front of the Governor. I also tendered my resignation to him...Congress and the RJD in charge were also present here...On 28 November the oath ceremony will take place..."

Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi on Sunday said that the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly election results will have far-reaching effects and that the NDA and BJP's performance in these polls will pose a significant threat to Congress and its allies.

"The Maharashtra election results will have far-reaching effects. The NDA and BJP's performance in the elections will pose a huge threat to Congress and its allies in the coming times...In Jharkhand, the NDA needs to work more in the tribal and protected areas," Tyagi said while speaking to news agency ANI.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance registered a smashing victory, carrying its allies--Shiv Sena and NCP--with its momentum. The BJP won 132 seats, Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, secured 57 seats, and the NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar claimed 41 seats. The Maharashtra assembly has 288 seats in total.

In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback. The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, won only 20 seats, Congress managed 16, and the NCP(SP) led by Sharad Pawar won just 10 seats.

The BJP demonstrated an impressive strike, winning 133 of the 148 seats it contested in Maharashtra. The party's allies, the Shiv Sena and NCP factions, also performed well. The Maharashtra assembly elections were held on November 20.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined celebrations at the BJP headquarters, following the Mahayuti's landslide victory in Maharashtra assembly elections and said the people of the state have defeated "negative and parivarvad politics."

BJP leader and Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan expressed disappointment over the debacle in the Jharkhand Assembly polls and said that there might be some flaws and the party would analyse it.

Prithviraj Harichandan said, "We accept the people's mandate. I believe there will be some flaws. The party will analyse it. The party will see what is the defect and why we lost in Jharkhand despite misrule in the state. And accordingly, we'll try to rectify our path. In Maharashtra, the performance was good and the people have lost their faith in the Congress party and its allies. The result was very good only because of the reason of good governance."

Soren-led JMM steered the INDIA bloc to victory with 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 34 seats, with its allies winning 22 seats. Among JMM's allies, the Congress won 16 seats, RJD four seats, and CPI-ML two seats.

However, the BJP-led NDA won just 24 seats out of the 81 assembly constituencies. The BJP won 21 seats, and its allies AJSU, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and JD-U won one each.

Notably, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, a party fighting state assembly elections also won a seat. Party chief Jairam Kumar Mahato won the Dumri seat.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance is set to retain power in the State where assembly polls were conducted in two phases. The first phase was held on November 13 and the second phase on November 20.

In Maharashtra, the BJP won 132 seats while its allies- the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won 57 seats, and the NCP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won 41 seats. The state has 288 assembly seats.

A meeting chaired by JMM executive president Hemant Soren was underway here on Sunday to elect the leader of the INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, a day after the coalition registered a massive victory in the state assembly elections, winning 56 of the 81 seats, leaders of the alliance said. Soren has sought time from the governor at 4 pm during the day to stake claim for government formation.

Soren retained the Barhait seat, defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. Soren secured 95,612 votes, while Hembrom got 55,821 votes.

"We will elect the leader of the coalition and without wasting time, take decisions on government formation," Congress general secretary and its Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said.

INDIA bloc's winning candidates said they would elect Hemant Soren as their leader.

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Congress may demand the post of the deputy chief minister.

Mir, however, parried questions saying the topmost agenda was to elect the leader of the coalition at present and later an authorised representative will discuss matters pertaining to ministers and other issues.

The Jharkhand Congress on Sunday said it has left the decision of nominating the leader of legislature party in the Jharkhand assembly to its central leadership in New Delhi. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) held its meeting here after a stunning comeback of Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term. The coalition won 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, including 16 by the Congress, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 seats.

"Today, a meeting of the CLP was convened. The party unanimously passed a resolution to authorise the high command to nominate the legislature party leader. The resolution will be sent to the party leadership," Congress general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He said a detailed discussion was held by Congress legislators, and 14 out of the 16 MLAs were present in the meeting.

Mir said the Congress leadership will take a decision on the CLP as per the usual practice based on seniority, House experience and other parametres.

He, however, parried queries on whether the party has demanded the deputy CM's post.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged the JMM-led alliance, which retained power in Jharkhand, to perform its constitutional duty of identifying and deporting infiltrators from the eastern state. Sarma, who was the BJP's co-in-charge for Jharkhand polls, also called upon the newly elected party MLAs to raise the issue of infiltration in the assembly, maintaining that the illegal migrants pose a serious threat to the eastern state.

In a Facebook live, Sarma said, "I believe today also that the problem of infiltration will cause a lot of harm to Jharkhand in the coming days. It is your (JMM) government and I appeal to you to push back these infiltrators or at least identify them. It is your constitutional duty."

"I believe that the Jharkhand government will fulfil this responsibility," the BJP leader, who had extensively raised the issue of infiltration in Jharkhand during his poll campaign, added.

Sarma also appealed to the newly elected BJP MLAs to perform their duty as an opposition and raise the issue of infiltration in the assembly.

In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24 seats.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren will go to Raj Bhavan on Sunday by 4 pm to resign and stake the claim to form the government again in Jharkhand, following the INDIA bloc victory in the polls.

Soren-led JMM steered the INDIA bloc to victory with 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 34 seats, with its allies winning 22 seats. Among JMM's allies, the Congress won 16 seats, RJD four seats, and CPI-ML two seats.

However, the BJP-led NDA won just 24 seats out of the 81 assembly constituencies. The BJP won 21 seats, and its allies AJSU, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and JD-U won one each.

Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, a party fighting state assembly elections also won a seat. Party chief Jairam Kumar Mahato won the Dumri seat.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance is set to retain power in the State where assembly polls were conducted in two phases. The first phase was held on November 13 and the second phase on November 20.

Meanwhile, following this victory, Congress leader Rajesh Thakur said that the people of the state sidelined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Winning is in the hands of the public. We have got the mandate of the people. In a democracy, people are always superior. We have got the mandate of the public. We do not care about those making allegations against us. I believe they have returned to their homes and it is better if they work for the welfare of their own states. People have worked to sideline the BJP here. Now we have to focus on the work we have to do. Our central point will be to cater to the public," former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur told news agency ANI.

As the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led Mahaghatbandhan won the 2024 assembly elections in Jharkhand, Congress leader Rajesh Thakur on Sunday said that the people of the state sidelined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Winning is in the hands of the public. We have got the mandate of the people. In a democracy, people are always superior. We have got the mandate of the public. We do not care about those making allegations against us. I believe they have returned to their homes and it is better if they work for the welfare of their own states. People have worked to sideline the BJP here.

Now we have to focus on the work we have to do. Our central point will be to cater to the public," former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur told ANI.

Jharkhand's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Babulal Marandi on Sunday spoke on the issue of the infiltrators in the State and said that the population of tribals had decreased in the State.

Speaking to ANI, he said "The issue of infiltrators is a national issue. You must have noticed that there are such incidents in Mumbai as well. In Jharkhand, the population of the tribals has now decreased. There are many reasons for this reduction but one of the big factors is that the government has made ration cards, Aadhar cards and their voter cards. So this is a matter of investigation..."

Further, Marandi congratulated Hemant Soren on JMM's victory in the Jharkhand elections and said that the mandate of the people had to be accepted.

"Congratulations to Hemant Soren for the victory. We accept the mandate of the people of Jharkhand and certainly, we will look at our shortcomings and see where we have gone wrong," Marandi added.

After the BJP-led NDA's defeat in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also served as the co-incharge for the polls, urged the state government to focus on the issue of infiltration, warning that it could cause significant damage in the future.

In a video message on Saturday, Himanta emphasized that the setback in Jharkhand would not deter him. "We may not have been successful in our aim but this does not mean that we should give up our work. Whenever I fail in any work, it becomes a success in the coming days."

After the Opposition raised questions on the functioning of electronic voting machines following the declaration of results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Sunday said that those who sought to blame the EVMs should note that the same machines were in Jharkhand, where the result favoured the INDIA bloc.

Speaking to ANI, Bhandari criticisise the Congress and termed it as an "anti-democracy" party.

"Those who are blaming the EVM, I want to tell them that same EVMs were used in Jharkhand where the result came in your favour...They are not able to digest the fact that their 'Jhooth ki Dukaan' has been exposed from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh...If you (INDIA alliance) are blaming EVMs for your defeat then you should resign from the states where you have formed the government...Congress means anti-democracy," he said.

In the recent Jharkhand assembly polls, four prominent ministers in the JMM-led Hemant Soren government faced resounding defeats, despite the coalition securing a second consecutive term.

Among those who lost were Health Minister Banna Gupta, who was embroiled in multiple controversies, and Water Resources Minister Mithilesh Thakur. Additionally, Education Minister Baidyanath Ram and Social Welfare Minister Bebi Devi, whose department introduced the popular Maiyan Samman Yojna, were also defeated.

The Maiyan Samman Yojna, which provides Rs 1,000 per month to women aged 18-50, was a key factor in the coalition’s success. Currently benefiting around 57 lakh women, the government has pledged to increase the financial support to Rs 2,500 per month.

Following the announcement of Jharkhand assembly election results on Saturday, Congress leader Pawan Khera expressed delight at the outcome, noting that the state's residents had declined to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In his conversation with ANI, Khera highlighted the defeat of what he termed "divisive politics" in Jharkhand, stating, "In Jharkhand, we have won, and divisive politics has been defeated... We are very happy... The people of Jharkhand have rejected them (NDA)."

Responding to queries about the Maharashtra assembly election results, Khera remarked, "The results in Maharashtra are unbelievable... We are also happy that in Parliament there will be a strong voice from the INDIA alliance side."

The electoral outcome in Jharkhand showed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) securing 34 seats, whilst their coalition partners obtained 22 seats collectively. Within this alliance, the Congress gained 16 seats, RJD secured four, and CPI-ML won two seats.

Hoping to wrest Jharkhand from the Hemant Soren-led JMM govt, the BJP went to the polls with a strong strategy of showcasing cases of poor tribals losing their land to Bangladeshi land grabbers, in a move that eventually backfired with the entire campaign getting lost in translation on ground.

And the result was JMM in its bastion of Santhal Pargana clinched all 18, but one seat with the help of its partners BJP got reduced from four seats in 2019 to one this time while the JMM bagged 11, Congress four and RJD two. Devendra Kunwar is the only BJP man in Santhal's Jarmundi seat.

The idea was to examine how much of tribal land had changed hands from tribals over the past few decades and star BJP campaigner Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighting how JMM was becoming a stumbling block.

What was common between Maharashtra and Jharkhand? Cash was king when it came to wooing voters. Direct transfers, under whatever name they be, Ladki Bahin in Maharashtra or Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana in Jharkhand, have helped parties ride back to power.

If PM-Kisan, BJP's belated attempt to counter NYAY, worked in its favour in the 2019 general elections, the focus was more on women with each party seeking to outdo the other. In Maharashtra, Mahayuti promised to increase the Ladki Behin allowance from Rs 1,500 a month to Rs 2,100, as JMM has in Jharkhand - from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500.

The BJP, which had relied heavily on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to lead its Jharkhand campaign, has been decimated in the state. Chief minister Hemant Soren has led his party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to its best-ever performance in the state. JMM-led ruling INDIA bloc has crossed the two-third majority mark in the 81-member assembly.The Jharkhand verdict is an outright rejection of Himanta Biswa Sarma's Bangladeshi infiltration pitch, which was the central theme of the BJP campaign in the state.

Sarma, who spearheaded the BJP campaign from the day he was appointed Jharkhand's co-incharge along with Shivraj Singh Chouhan, set the tone for appeasement attack against the Soren government by highlighting how Bangladeshi infiltrators were becoming a threat to the tribals in the state.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP co-incharge for the assembly elections in Jharkhand, expressed profound distress regarding the party's electoral defeat.

Sarma extended felicitations to the JMM-led alliance for achieving a remarkable victory, whilst expressing his conviction that under Chief Minister Hemant Soren's stewardship, Jharkhand would commence its journey towards advancement and prosperity. "The defeat in Jharkhand is exceedingly distressing for me personally, notwithstanding our triumph in all five by-elections in Assam. I have observed the steadfast dedication and persistent endeavours of our Karyakartas in Jharkhand, who invested their utmost in this election," he articulated in a post on X.

Sarma elucidated that the BJP contested the elections with an aspiration to safeguard the state from infiltration and guide it towards development, whilst fulfilling the aspirations of students and youth.

“However, we must humbly accept the mandate of the people, for that is the true essence of democracy. In these challenging times, we will stand firmly with our Karyakartas, offering them unwavering support and solidarity,” he said. In another post, Sarma said, “JMM and its allies have secured an impressive victory in Jharkhand. My heartfelt congratulations to Shri @HemantSorenJMM and his entire team on this achievement. I am confident that under his leadership, Jharkhand will embark on a path of progress and development.”

The JMM-led coalition, under Hemant Soren's leadership, secured a remarkable victory in Jharkhand, clinching 56 seats in the 81-member assembly to form the government for a second straight term. The BJP-led NDA, despite an intensive campaign, managed to secure only 24 seats, falling well short of the required majority mark of 41 seats.

Despite BJP's intensive campaign that criticised chief minister Soren's governance and highlighted concerns about Bangladeshi immigration and alleged governmental misconduct, the party failed to achieve its desired outcome. Although BJP maintained a higher vote share compared to JMM, it couldn't replicate its recent electoral success in Maharashtra, where it had achieved a decisive victory.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren expressed gratitude to people of the state for INDIA bloc’s stellar performance in the assembly polls, asserting that it passed the exam of democracy.

“We have passed the exam of democracy in Jharkhand; we will finalise our strategy after the election results,” Soren said at a press conference here. “I express my gratitude to the people for this stupendous performance,” he said.

Soren also said Jharkhand is set to script ‘Abua Raj, Abua Sarkar’ (own state, own govt).

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has emerged as a surprise element in the Jharkhand assembly elections with its candidates winning in four of the six seats where the party is contesting, according to the Election Commission's website on Saturday. RJD candidates defeated sitting BJP legislators in four assembly seats.

In 2019, the RJD managed to win only the Chatra seat where Satyanand Bhokta had won.

This time, in Deoghar, RJD's Suresh Paswan won by 39,721 votes over his nearest rival and BJP's sitting MLA Narayan Das.

RJD's Sanjay Prasad Yadav registered a comfortable win by 21,471 votes in Godda over BJP MLA Amit Kumar Mandal.

Party candidate Naresh Prasad Singh won by 14,587 votes over BJP's Bishrampur MLA Ramchandra Chandravanshi.

RJD's Sanjay Kumar Singh Yadav registered a victory from Hussainabad by 34,364 votes over BJP's MLA Kamlesh Kumar Singh.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife, Kalpana Soren, secured victories in the assembly elections. Former CM Champai Soren also won on a BJP ticket. The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, a new political force, gained a seat. Notable losers include Sudesh Mahto, Amar Bauri, and Banna Gupta.

The results of 81 Assembly seats are out and JMM won 34 seats, Congress 16, CPI-M 2, and RJD 4, making a total of 56. Meanwhile, BJP won 21 seats and AJSUP, LJPRV, JLKM, and JD (U) each won one seat.

The results of 78 seats are out --- JMM: 34, BJP-20, Congress-15, RJD-4, CPI(ML)- 2, while AJSUP, LJPRV and JLKM won 1 seat each.

As the electoral data showed that INDIA bloc is winning the Jharkhand assembly elections, Congress incharge for the state, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, "Tomorrow is the Congress Legislative Party meeting in which the newly elected MLAs will be present. The meeting will be held in meeting...There will be one more meeting of the alliance partners...After the meeting, further decisions will be taken..."

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 33 seats in the state assembly election while BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 19 seats. JMM is still leading on 1 seat while BJP is on 2. The Congress won 15 seats and is leading on 1.

Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance was all set to retain Jharkhand as it won 22 seats in the 81-member state assembly, as per Election Commission data on Saturday afternoon. The performance of the BJP-led NDA, which was confident about its prospects in the state after an aggressive campaign, was poorer than its expectations. It was leading in just 23 seats with BJP winning only 14 seats.

The BJP, which had relied heavily on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to lead its Jharkhand campaign, has been decimated in the state. Chief minister Hemant Soren has led his party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to its best-ever performance in the state. JMM-led ruling INDIA bloc has crossed the two-third majority mark in the 81-member assembly.

"Heartfelt thanks to the people of Jharkhand for giving a huge mandate to India. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, all the workers of Congress and JMM for this victory. This victory of the alliance in the state is a victory of the protection of water, forest and land along with the Constitution," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

"Today the results of the Jharkhand Assembly Elections have come...I want to thank the people of all communities and all the farmers, women and youth of the state for casting their votes with the majority and making this election successful...I also thank all the leaders who were there in the field and took the power of democracy to the people...We are waiting for the complete result which will be soon announced...After that, we will take a further decision...The INDIA alliance performance has been very good, I have come to know this...I want to thank you all for the support..." Hemant Soren said.

Hemant Soren, the 49-year-old chief minister of Jharkhand, has had a career shaped by resilience, legal battles, and political struggles. Known for his advocacy of tribal rights, Soren's journey to the top has been far from smooth, marked by challenges that have only strengthened his resolve.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Champai Soren, who used to be part of JMM, won the Seraikella assembly seat. Soren became the chief minister of Jharkhand when Hemant Soren was jailed on alleged land scam case. But after his bail, Hemant took over the throne again sparking a rift between Champai and him. Later, Champai changed the party.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren says, "I want to thank PM Modi also for his best wishes to us (on winning the Jharkhand assembly elections).

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and chief minister Hemant Soren won the Barhait seat with 95,612 votes. He defeated BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes

In the Jharkhand assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party won seven seats --Jarmundi, Barhi, Simaria, Dhanbad, Jharia, Baghmara, and Latehar and Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) - LJPRV won one seat.

In the Jharkhand Assembly elections, JMM won 13 seats whereas Congress won 4 seats, and RJD received 1 seat. Meanwhile, BJP won 4 seats, and LJPRV (Ram Vilas) won one seat from Chatra.

Bharatiya Janata Party won Baghmara, Dhanbad, and Barhi assembly seats. Manoj Kumar Yadav claimed victory in Barhi with 113274 votes, Raj Sinha from Dhanbad while Shatrughan Mahto won from Baghmara assembly seat. Earlier, they won Simaria seat.