Ranchi: The opposition JMM-Congress-RJD alliance in Jharkhand was leading in 43 out of the 81 seats of State Assembly till this noon, while the ruling BJP was ahead in 27 seats. The JMM was leading in 25 seats while its alliance partner Congress is ahead in 11 and the RJD in five. The JVM(P) was leading in four seats while the AJSU Party was ahead in three and the BSP in two constituencies. Counting for the five-phase Assembly elections in the state started this morning.
Among the seats that the BJP was leading are Baghmara, Barhi, Bishunpur, Dumka, Jamshedpur (West), Pakur, Panki, Potka, Simdega, Torpa, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Ramgarh, Daltonganj, Dhanbad, Giridih and Bhawanathpur. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das was leading in Jamshedpur (East) seat over independent candidate Saryu Roy by 1,449 votes. Urban Development Minister and BJP candidate C P Singh was leading by 1,616 votes over his nearest JMM rival Mahua Maji in Ranchi seat.
Labour Minister and BJP candidate Raj Paliwar was leading by 1,593 votes over his nearest JMM rival Haji Hussain Ansari in Madhupur seat. Jharkhand Assembly Speaker and BJP candidate Dinesh Oraon was trailing by over 6,000 votes in Sisai seat. The JMM was leading in Baharagora, Borio, Chaibasa, Chakradharpur, Dumri, Ghatsila, Garhwa, Ichagarh, Gumla, Kharasawan, Littipara and Maheshpur seats.
Opposition alliance Chief Ministerial candidate and JMM working president Hemant Soren was leading in Barhait seat over BJP’s Simon Malto by 1,672 votes and is trailing by 7,858 votes behind state welfare minister and BJP candidate Lois Marandi in Dumka seat. The seats where the Congress was leading are Barkagaon, Barhi, Bermo, Jagannathpur and Bokaro while the RJD was ahead in Deoghar, Chatra, Chattarpur and Godda constituencies.
The BSP was leading in Bishrampur and Hussainabad seats while the AJSU Party was ahead in Jusalai and Gomia constituencies. Uma Kant Rajak of AJSU Party was leading by over 1,260 votes over his nearest rival state Revenue and Land Reforms Minister and BJP candidate Amar Kumar Bauri in Chandankiyari seat. Former Chief Minister and JVM(P) president Babulal Marandi was leading by 2,841 votes over his nearest rival Raj Kumar Yadav of CPI(ML-Liberation) in Dhanwar seat. Former Deputy Chief Minister and AJSU Party president Sudesh Mahto was trailing by 284 votes behind JMM candidate Seema Devi in Silli seat.