Elections 2014: BJP`s landslide victory in Jharkhand, embarrassing defeat for Congress

The BJP has all the reasons to make merry in Jharkhand as the exit polls predict a landslide victory for the party. If poll predictions are to be believed, BJP is likely to win around 10-11 Lok Sabha seats in the state, out of the total 14 seats.

Tarun Khanna

The BJP has all the reasons to make merry in Jharkhand as the exit polls predict a landslide victory for the party. If poll predictions are to be believed, BJP is likely to win around 10-11 Lok Sabha seats in the state, out of the total 14 seats.

The party is expected to outdo its own performance of 2009 General Elections.

However, what can be seen as major embarrassment for the Congress, the polls forecast that the party will repeat its 2009 poor performance of winning only one seat. The remaining seat will go to a regional party which could be either Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) or Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.

The newly-formed Aam Aadmi Party is also likely to open its account in the state with 1-2 seats.
In 2009, the BJP had won handsomely by winning 8 seats, while the Congress managed to bag only one seat.

The BJP had JD(U) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) as allies when it put up an impressive performance in 2009. The JD(U) broke 17-year-old ties with BJP in June 2013 opposing Narendra Modi`s elevation and JMM joined hands with the Congress, making the BJP to bank more on the `Modi wave` to see it through.

The Congress which was reduced to one seat in 2009 General Elections, contested 2014 General Elections in coalition with the JMM and RJD.

In 2004, Congress had won 6 seats and JMM had won 4 seats. Furthermore, its other alliance parties RJD and CPI had got two and one seat, respectively. This took the tally to 12.

The key constituencies in Jharkhand are Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Dumka, Singhbhum and Kodarma. While JMM supremo Shibu Soren (Guruji) had won Dumka seat in the last LS elections, INC`s Subodh Kant Sahay had won from Ranchi. BJP senior leader Yashwant Sinha had won Hazaribagh seat in 2009. The party had fielded Sinha`s son Jayant Sinha from the same constituency. In Singhbhum, former chief minister Madhu Koda had won in 2009 and Kodarma seat had gone to former chief minister Babulal Marandi of JVM. The JVM had fielded Pranav Verma from this seat for 2014.

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