Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to visit Ranchi on Saturday to invigorate the party's election campaign ahead of the Jharkhand assembly elections-2024. During his visit, he will address the "Samvidhan Samman Sammelan," a key event in Ranchi aimed at reinforcing the Congress party's position and rallying support for the alliance.
The Election Commission of India recently announced the dates for the assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The Jharkhand elections, which include 81 assembly seats, will be conducted in two phases—on November 13 and 20, while Maharashtra will see a single-phase election on November 20. A significant voter base will be participating in these elections, with 2.60 crore eligible voters in Jharkhand, including 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters. Notably, there are 11.84 lakh first-time voters in the state. The vote counting for both states is scheduled for November 23.
Cong appoint senior leaders to spearhead the campaign
preparation for the elections, the Congress party has appointed senior leaders to lead the campaign in Jharkhand. BK Hariprasad, Gaurav Gogoi, and Mohan Markam have been designated as senior coordinators for the upcoming polls. The senior coordinators bring a wealth of political experience to the table. BK Hariprasad, a former Rajya Sabha MP, is currently a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council. Gaurav Gogoi serves as the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, representing the Jorhat constituency. Mohan Markam, a former minister in the Chhattisgarh government, was the president of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee from 2019 to 2023, and he represents the Kondagaon assembly constituency.
As the election campaign ramps up, the nomination process for the first phase of the Jharkhand elections has begun.
Alliance between Cong and JMM formalized
Currently, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) holds the largest share of assembly seats in the state, with 30 MLAs. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows with 25 seats, while the Congress occupies 16 seats. The alliance between Congress and JMM has been formalized, though the specifics of seat-sharing are still being finalized. The coalition aims to maintain their hold on power in the state.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been vocal in his criticism of the BJP, accusing the party of mismanaging the state during its 20-year tenure. Soren, in a recent statement on social media, reflected on his government’s achievements and pointedly accused the BJP of plundering the state's resources. "In December 2019, with the blessings of the people of Jharkhand, I took over the reins of the state. My sole aim was to water the tree of Jharkhand and strengthen its roots. The BJP looted this tree with both hands for 20 years. It dried it up,” Soren remarked in a tweet.
Soren encourages people to engage more actively in state's development
He further highlighted his 100 days of governance since returning from jail and resuming his duties as Chief Minister. "Today marks 100 days of coming back from jail and taking charge of the state. I ask the people of Jharkhand to contribute in every sphere of their life,” Soren added, encouraging people to engage more actively in the state's development.
The political landscape in Jharkhand remains competitive, with the Congress-JMM alliance determined to retain power while the BJP is keen to make a comeback. With the elections just weeks away, the campaigning is expected to intensify, and key political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, will be making their presence felt in the battleground state.
(Prakash Kumar Pandey)