BJP's final list for Jharkhand: Hembrom to challenge Hemant Soren in Barhait

Ranchi, Oct 28 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its second and final list of candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. In this list, the BJP has fielded Gamaliyel Hembrom to challenge Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate, Hemant Soren, in the Barhait constituency of the Santhal Pargana division.

Additionally, Vikas Mahto will contest from the Tundi constituency in Dhanbad district, as per the second list of the BJP.

Both Barhait and Tundi are part of the second phase of the elections, scheduled for voting on November 20. The deadline for filing nominations is Tuesday, October 29.

Gamaliyel Hembrom, a former government teacher who entered politics five years ago, also ran in the 2019 Assembly elections as an AJSU Party candidate, receiving about 2,500 votes. He later joined the BJP and is now taking on Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Vikas Mahto, the BJP candidate for Tundi, serves on the Dhanbad Zila Parishad and has also been the state President of the Mukhiya (Gram Pradhan) Sangh.

Initially, the AJSU Party also claimed the Tundi seat, and there was speculation that AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto might contest from here. However, the BJP ultimately secured the seat within the NDA seat-sharing arrangement.

As part of the NDA alliance, the BJP will contest 68 out of 81 seats in Jharkhand, while the AJSU Party has been allocated ten seats, Janata Dal (United) two, and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) one.

Earlier on October 19, the BJP released a list of 66 candidates. BJP state President Babulal Marandi has been fielded from Dhanwar constituency, while former Jharkhand CM and former JMM leader Champai Soren has been made the candidate from Saraikela.

The state will go for elections in two phases, on November 13 and November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.