Jharkhand election results: BJP big guns fail to convert mega rallies into victories

RANCHI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma almost matched the Sorens rally for rally. And hoping to make deep inroads, BJP rolled out its heavy artillery - led by PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah with UP CM Yogi Adityanath making frequent visits - in its high-decibel campaign to take Jharkhand.

The results, with the exception of some urban seats, were quite the opposite. While PM Modi held five rallies and a roadshow in areas that included the tribal pockets of Gumla and Chaibasa (Kolhan), Shah held 14 rallies during the campaign while Yogi was parachuted in to consolidate Hindu and SC-dominated pockets in urban areas.

Despite Modi holding rallies in Bokaro, Sarath, Godda and Chaibasa, BJP won no seats here. Bokaro, Sarath and Godda were, in fact, seats that were with BJP but were wrested by the JMM-led INDIA bloc. Similarly, despite Shah's rallies in Tamar and Chhatarpur, the INDIA bloc won both. Chhatarpur previously was with BJP.

Yogi, with his 'batenge to katenge' line, held rallies in Deoghar, Bokaro, Bermo, Bhawnathpur and Hussainabad, but BJP-led NDA ended up with losses in these seats. Deoghar, Bhawnathpur and Hussainabad were in the NDA fold.

Congress spokesperson Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo said the results showed an outright rejection of BJP's "divisive politics" by voters in the state. "Right from the PM to lower-rung functionaries, all tried highly divisive politics but the outcome indicates tribals, Dalits and voters at large have given the mandate to INDIA bloc. This is a direct referendum on Modi, Shah and BJP," Shahdeo said.

BJP functionaries said they did not agree with the assessment that their campaign had not worked "We accept the verdict. Yes, it's not what we had expected, but we have managed to open our accounts in new seats only due to BJP's issue-based campaigning," said BJP spokesperson Ashok Baraik.


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