J\'khand poll results: Major boost for RJD, Congress

Patna: The RJD on Monday celebrated the success of grand alliance in Jharkhand assembly polls. The party had contested in alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress.

Hitting out at the outgoing Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das and the BJP, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “The mood was against the state government as well as the Centre which failed in providing relief to the people from poverty and unemployment. People were also upset due to deteriorating law and order scenario in the state”.

The RJD was allotted a total of seven seats under the seat sharing arrangement with the JMM and Congress. Political analysts see this as a major boost for the RJD and Congress which is preparing to get into a direct electoral battle with JD(U)-BJP combine during the Bihar Assembly polls scheduled for 2020.

Tejashwi Yadav said that the “opposition alliance in Jharkhand had fought the election under the leadership of JMM working president Hemant Soren and he is going to be the Chief Minister of the state”.

Talking to reporters in Ranchi JMM working president Hemant Soren said that he will soon call a meeting of all alliance partners to discuss future course of action. He also used the occasion to thank his father and party chief Shibu Soren whom he addressed as Guruji, RJD Chief Lalu Yadav, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for “forming a grand alliance against the BJP”.

“I am thankful to everyone who believed in me and I assure that I will never let them down. We will soon meet and discuss our future course of action”, JMM working president Hemant Soren said.

The state went to polls for 81 seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20. BJP, JMM, Congress, RJD, AJSU and JVM–P were the main political parties in the fray. The primary fight was between the BJP and the JMM – Congress and RJD alliance.

The most high profile seat which the BJP lost during this year’s Assembly election was Jamshedpur (east) which was contested by Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das. His colleague and former minister Saryu Rai contested against him and won with a high margin.

Two major regional parties from Bihar JD(U) and LJP also failed to open an account in the assembly elections.

Leaders associated with JD(U) in Jharkhand pinned the blame on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who didn’t campaign in the state.

Primary challenges faced by the outgoing Chief Minister Raghubar Das led BJP during the elections were the Naxal issues, human trafficking and migration to other states for employment.

Analysts claim that regional issues like Jal- Jungle and Jamin (water- forest and land) were raised aggressively by the JMM and Congress which caused a major dent to the BJP which has been trying hard to win 65 plus seats in the state.

During the 2014 Assembly polls, the BJP in alliance with AJSU had won 42 seats (BJP 37 and AJSU- 5). In the Lok Sabha elections this year, the BJP and allies had clinched 12 out 14 seats in the state.