Hemant Soren is all set to be the next chief minister of Jharkhand after trends at 4:45 pm showed the alliance led by his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is leading on 45 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 25 seats, the trends showed.
“The trends that have emerged so far show the people have given as a clear mandate… I thank voters of the state,” Soren said in his first reaction to the decisive lead to the JMM-led alliance.
“Congress, RJD and JMM fought together, I thank Guruji ( his father Shibu Soren), Laluji and Soniaji, Rahulji, Priyankaji, all central leaders overseeing the campaign who reposed trust on me,” he further said.
A new chapter begins for Jharkhand, it will be a milestone for the state, added Soren.
Soren was earlier replying to congratulatory messages which started pouring in on Twitter. He will become the chief minister of Jharkhand for the second time.
Thank you @MamataOfficial Didi for your wishes. This has been a battle to establish democratic will & socially inclusive Jharkhand. I dedicate this victory to the people of Jharkhand. https://t.co/KoGpH1JPHz
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) December 23, 2019
Thank you @UpendraRLSP ji for your wishes. This has been a battle to establish democratic will & socially inclusive Jharkhand. I dedicate this victory to the people of Jharkhand. https://t.co/j2iGr0unA1
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) December 23, 2019
Hemant, who has inherited his father Shibu Soren’s political legacy, drove down to the senior Soren’s residence less than a kilometre away to seek his blessings. Hemant Soren’s family accompanied him.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das, who was eyeing a second term, hinted that he is conceding defeat, though he said he is still hopeful that the results will be in BJP’s favour. “I am hopeful that result will be in our favour. I am waiting for the final results. BJP will accept the people’s mandate,” Das said.
Das has been facing a tough fight against his former cabinet colleague and Independent candidate Saryu Roy in the Jamshedpur-East constituency.
Das is trailing by over 4,000 votes from his nearest rival Roy. He has been winning this seat since 1995.
Soren, 44, emerged out of the shadows of his father Shibu Soren back in 2013. He enrolled but never completed his graduation in engineering.
Hemant Soren had pulled down the Arjun Munda government in 2013 to become the chief minister, then the state’s and the country’s youngest. It was practically under his leadership that the JMM delivered its highest ever tally of 19 seats in 2014.
JMM’s alliance partner Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had already declared victory a few hours ago. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, responding to earlier reports of the alliance’s leads on 42 seats, had declared that the alliance had “swept” the elections and reiterated that Soren, the JMM working president, would be the next Jharkhand chief minister.
Congress workers were seen bursting crackers at party headquarters in New Delhi.
Polling on 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand was held in five phases from November 30 to December 20.
The tenure of the current Assembly ends on January 5, 2020. This is the fourth Assembly election in Jharkhand since the state was carved out of Bihar in 2000.