Jharkhand voted to elect its new government in two phases and the polling concluded on November 20. The counting of votes will be held on November 23. The clear contest in Jharkhand this time is between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the BJP. Jharkhand registered a voting percentage of 64.86% in the first phase and close to 68% in the second phase of voting. Meanwhile, the exit polls predicted its results for Jharkhand.
The Times Now-JVC's Exit Poll predicted the BJP to win 40-44 seats in Jharkhand. JMM led alliance has been predicted to win 30-40 seats in the 81-member assembly.
The Matrize exit poll predicted 42-47 seats for the BJP and 25-30 seats for the JMM.
Chanakya Strategies predicted 45-50 seats for the BJP and 35-38 seats for the JMM-Congress.
Union Minister and Jharkhand election in-charge for the BJP, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, commented on the exit polls. "Who can be a bigger surveyor in Jharkhand than us? We have been in Jharkhand for the last 3 months. We have seen how people wished for change. I am sure that the people have voted for BJP-NDA. We are going to form the government with a huge mandate," said Shivraj.
On exit polls, JMM candidate from Ranchi, Mahua Maji said, "We don't trust exit polls. You saw what happened in Lok Sabha polls...INDIA alliance will form the government in Jharkhand."
Jharkhand BJP president and candidate from Dhanwar, Babulal Marandi, speaking on the exit polls, said, "In this election, BJP and NDA are ahead. BJP and NDA will form govt by winning 51+ seats. Complaints have come from those constituencies where they (INDIA alliance) have won earlier...now they have got to know that they are going to lose badly, therefore they have done this."
The elections are a matter of political survival and prominence for the JMM and Hemant Soren. For the BJP, the outcome in Jharkhand holds importance as it would mean that the saffron party will be wresting another state from the opposition led INDIA alliance.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the JMM won 30 seats and the BJP emerged as the second largest party with 25 seats. The Congress, in alliance with the JMM won 16 seats and the JVM won 3 seats in the 81 members house. The JMM then joined hands with the Congress to form government in the state and Hemant Soren was sworn-in as the chief minister.
