One region which disappointed the BJP in the 2019 assembly elections in Jharkhand was Kolhan, where the party couldn't win any of the 14 seats. It is where the battle of 2024 centred on with the BJP and the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress alliance putting their best foot forward.
In 2019, the JMM won 11 seats, while the Congress got two and the remaining one went to an independent candidate.
Kolhan will have a major say in who forms the next government in the state. The region has a large population of scheduled tribe communities, and 10 of the seats are reserved: nine for STs and one seat - Jugsalai - for scheduled castes. In 2019, JMM won eight ST-reserved and one SC-reserved seats, while ally Congress won one ST reserved seat, holding the alliance's dominance over the tribal vote bank.
However, things have changed in Kolhan with former chief minister Champai Soren contesting now on a BJP ticket. Also in the fray in the region are the families of some big wigs of the BJP. Champai Soren's son is contesting from Ghatsila while the wife of former CM Arjun Munda, Meera Munda, is the BJP candidate for Potka. Purnima Das Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former CM Raghubar Das, is contesting from the Jamshedpur East.
The JMM has given tickets to nine of its 11 MLAs. At Manoharpur, it has fielded Jagat Majhi, son of Singhbhum MP Joba Majhi. With Champai Soren moving out, it fielded Ganesh Mahli at Saraikela.
A travel through the region indicates that the JMM still has its sway among the tribal voters, even as the BJP is trying to take a pie of that.
Suraj Bhumij, a 36-year-old from Kudada village in Potka assembly seat, talked about JMM candidate Sanjeev Sardar while terming Meera Munda as an outsider. "Sardar is here with us while Meera Munda is an outsider and no one knows whether she will come here after winning the election," he told ET.
Bishnu Purty, 40, is a crane operator in Chaibasa and a staunch JMM supporter. "The JMM has done good work for tribals and my vote is for Deepak Birua, the JMM candidate," he said. The BJP has fielded Geeta Balmuchu, former chairman of the Chaibasa Municipal Council, to make the contest interesting.
Among tribes, the BJP has got a foothold starting from Saraikela, the constituency of Champai Soren, to Ghatsila, Kharsawan, Potka and other constituencies.
The party is also focusing on tribal voters and ST reserved seats apart from the four unreserved seats of the region: Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Bahragoda and Ichagarh.
PM Narendra Modi's rally at Chaibasa on Monday was aimed at attracting the tribal voters to the party. In his speech, the PM mentioned that the government will offer financial support to tribal people for small businesses.
The BJP has a support base among non-tribes. Ramlal Kewat, a 31-year-old tea stall owner in the Dugni market under Kharsawan assembly constituency, is supporting the BJP as he wants change.
In 2019, the JMM won 11 seats, while the Congress got two and the remaining one went to an independent candidate.
Kolhan will have a major say in who forms the next government in the state. The region has a large population of scheduled tribe communities, and 10 of the seats are reserved: nine for STs and one seat - Jugsalai - for scheduled castes. In 2019, JMM won eight ST-reserved and one SC-reserved seats, while ally Congress won one ST reserved seat, holding the alliance's dominance over the tribal vote bank.
However, things have changed in Kolhan with former chief minister Champai Soren contesting now on a BJP ticket. Also in the fray in the region are the families of some big wigs of the BJP. Champai Soren's son is contesting from Ghatsila while the wife of former CM Arjun Munda, Meera Munda, is the BJP candidate for Potka. Purnima Das Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former CM Raghubar Das, is contesting from the Jamshedpur East.
The JMM has given tickets to nine of its 11 MLAs. At Manoharpur, it has fielded Jagat Majhi, son of Singhbhum MP Joba Majhi. With Champai Soren moving out, it fielded Ganesh Mahli at Saraikela.
A travel through the region indicates that the JMM still has its sway among the tribal voters, even as the BJP is trying to take a pie of that.
Suraj Bhumij, a 36-year-old from Kudada village in Potka assembly seat, talked about JMM candidate Sanjeev Sardar while terming Meera Munda as an outsider. "Sardar is here with us while Meera Munda is an outsider and no one knows whether she will come here after winning the election," he told ET.
Bishnu Purty, 40, is a crane operator in Chaibasa and a staunch JMM supporter. "The JMM has done good work for tribals and my vote is for Deepak Birua, the JMM candidate," he said. The BJP has fielded Geeta Balmuchu, former chairman of the Chaibasa Municipal Council, to make the contest interesting.
Among tribes, the BJP has got a foothold starting from Saraikela, the constituency of Champai Soren, to Ghatsila, Kharsawan, Potka and other constituencies.
The party is also focusing on tribal voters and ST reserved seats apart from the four unreserved seats of the region: Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Bahragoda and Ichagarh.
PM Narendra Modi's rally at Chaibasa on Monday was aimed at attracting the tribal voters to the party. In his speech, the PM mentioned that the government will offer financial support to tribal people for small businesses.
The BJP has a support base among non-tribes. Ramlal Kewat, a 31-year-old tea stall owner in the Dugni market under Kharsawan assembly constituency, is supporting the BJP as he wants change.
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