Ranchi, November 24, 2024: After registering a decisive victory in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Hemant Soren is set to take oath as Chief Minister on November 28. Mr Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance triumphed in the polls, setting the stage for him to return as Chief Minister. Despite facing a fierce challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance, which mounted an aggressive campaign, the JMM managed to secure 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, far surpassing the BJP’s 24.
Mr Soren met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar today to resign as Chief Minister and stake claim to form the government.
Mr Soren, who had faced political turmoil this year, including a legal battle and an arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), emerged stronger than ever. in the recent polls. The 49-year-old won from the Barhait constituency, where he defeated BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes.
After his release on bail earlier this year, Mr Soren returned to the political fray with renewed vigour. His wife, Kalpana Soren, who played a key role in keeping the JMM ship steady in his absence, won her seat in Gandey with a margin of 17,142 votes.
In a statement following the election results, Mr Soren expressed gratitude to the people of Jharkhand, terming the INDIA bloc’s strong showing as a "passing of the exam of democracy." The JMM’s victory is widely seen as a reaffirmation of the tribal vote’s loyalty to Mr Soren’s leadership, despite the best efforts by the BJP to wrest power from the incumbent government.