Taking a dig at the central investigative agencies, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday claimed that they were busy probing incidents like "chicken theft" while cases like the examination paper leaks in UP remain untouched at the behest of the BJP. Soren alleged that the BJP was behind the paper leaks in the states it ruled, and the money it garnered from there was being used to fund its poll campaigns. "The pomp and show that you are seeing from BJP in Jharkhand elections is all due to the money from paper leaks... ED, CBI, NIA which have started investigating even chicken theft cases these days did not probe paper leaks because it is the BJP that leaks these and with that money, it buys MLAs and MPs post elections," Soren alleged in a post on X. "Exam papers were leaked in all BJP-ruled states... MP Vyapam scam claimed several lives. In Jharkhand, we made tough law post one paper leak but BJP went to Raj Bhavan terming it a black law," he alleged. Soren claimed that h
Jharkhand Assembly elections LIVE: Voters to decide if JMM stays in power or BJP-led NDA stages a comeback, catch all the LIVE updates here
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday expressed confidence that the BJP will get two-thirds majority in Jharkhand, where the first phase of polling is underway. He also said that people will vote for his party in order to end the "corrupt" rule of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alliance. Chouhan is Bharatiya Janata Party's assembly election in-charge in Jharkhand. "I am continuously keeping a tab on Jharkhand. The way polling is going on there, BJP is getting more than two-thirds of majority in the first phase of voting," the Union Agriculture Minister told reporters after casting his vote in his native village Jait under the Budhni assembly seat. Voters supporting the BJP are coming out to vote in large numbers, he said. "Not only BJP supporters, but common people also want a change in the regime. The people of Jharkhand will defeat the corrupt and dishonest alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD, which has supported the Bangladeshi ..
Congress claimed that the advertisement violated the Model Code of Conduct and other electoral laws. It alleged that the leaders of JMM, INC, and RJD were being portrayed in a negative and false light
Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday unveiled BJP's manifesto for Jharkhand, assuring that tribal identity will be fully preserved even though the party plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code
Jharkhand Assembly elections: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is contesting the polls with the AJSU, Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)
The ruling JMM in Jharkhand wrote to the Election Commission on Sunday and demanded the removal of Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar and two senior IPS officers, alleging that they were working in favour of the BJP. Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly are scheduled on November 13 and November 20. "Giridih police today intercepted a vehicle carrying Mandal Murmu along with some other persons. When asked, the people on board did not reply as to where they were going. So, the police detained the vehicle. Mandal Murmu happens to be one of the proposers of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who has filed his nomination from the Barhait assembly constituency," JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said. "Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar and two senior IPS officials, misusing their official position, put undue pressure on the Giridih administration to release the vehicle," he alleged. Bhattacharya claimed that this was a gross violation of the model code of conduct, a
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday released its fourth list of candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, announcing Ganesh Mahli as its nominee for Seraikela seat. Mahli defected from the BJP and joined the JMM on October 22. Additionally, the party replaced its candidate for Khunti, selecting Ramsurya Munda instead of the previously announced Snehlata Kandulana. With this, the JMM has now announced candidates for 42 out of the 81 seats, having released three lists earlier for 41 seats. Out of the 43 seats the JMM had contested in the 2019 elections, it won 30 and came second in five constituencies. Elections to the 81-member house will take place in two phases on November 13 and 20. Counting is scheduled on November 23. INDIA bloc partners will contest the upcoming assembly polls together, with the Congress and JMM competing for 70 of the 81 seats, while the remaining 11 will be contested by the RJD and Left parties. The RJD had announced candidates for
The JMM on Wednesday released its third list of five candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly polls, fielding incumbent legislators Chamra Linda, Sukhram Oraon and Jiga Susaran Horo from Bishunpur, Chakradharpur and Sisai seats respectively. Linda had won by a margin of 17,382 votes defeating BJP's Ashok Oraon from Bishunpur seat in the 2019 assembly elections. Sukhram Oraon had won by a margin of 12,234 votes against Laxman Giluwa of the BJP. Horo had defeated Dinesh Oraon of the BJP by 38,418 votes five years ago. Besides the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) fielded two sitting legislators Yogendra Prasad from Gomia and Snehlata Kandulna from Khunti (ST) seats. Earlier in the day, the JMM released its first list of 35 candidates, nominating Chief Minister Hemant Soren from Barhait, his wife Kalpana Soren from Gandey and brother Basant Soren from Dumka, and the second list which included the candidature of Mahua Maji from Ranchi. The assembly elections are set to take place in
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday criticised the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for dynastic politics, pointing to their candidate list that includes "husband, wife, and brother." Sarma, who is BJP's Jharkhand election co-in-charge, was referring to the JMM list that includes the names of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife and JMM MLA Kalpana Soren and brother Basan Soren. "The JMM's candidate list clearly reflects dynastic politics," he said, noting the familial connections among the candidates. He also suggested that the JMM lacks a diverse candidate pool, remarking that if needed, the BJP could supply additional candidates, referring to some leaders from the saffron party who have recently joined the JMM. Polling to the 81-member assembly in the state will be held on November 13 and November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23.
Several BJP leaders, including three former MLAs, joined the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) weeks ahead of the assembly polls in the state. The former legislators who switched sides on Monday were Lois Marandi, Kunal Sarangi and Lakshman Tudu. The development also comes barely two days after three-term BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party leader Umakant Rajak joined the JMM. "We joined the JMM today," Sarangi, the BJP's former spokesperson and ex-Baharagora MLA, told PTI. Lois Marandi, a former BJP legislator, had in 2014 defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren by a margin of 5,262 votes from Dumka. Soon after Lois embraced JMM, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren welcomed her to the party. "We heartily welcome former BJP Vice President and senior leader respected Lois Marandi Ji to JMM family," Soren posted on X. In 2019, Soren won the Dumka seat by a margin of 13,188 votes. He, however, vacated the seat and retained the Barhait constituency. His brother Basant Soren had defeated
Jharkhand Assembly elections will be conducted in two phases - November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes will be done on November 23
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that coal companies did not clear the Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues despite the Supreme Court's order on mining dues, causing irreparable loss to the state and its people. He demanded a direct debit of the amount from Coal India's account to the state of Jharkhand from the reserves in the Reserve Bank of India as was done in case of Jharkhand State Electricity Board dues to the DVC. "In spite of provisions in the law and judicial pronouncements... Coal Companies are not making any payment... These questions have been raised at various forums, including your kind office, Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog. But till now this compensation (Rs 1.36 lakh crore) has not yet been paid. "The State of Jharkhand is an under-developed state and there are lots of social economic development projects which are getting hampered due to non-payment of our justifiable demands," Soren wrote in the letter to ...
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, who joined the BJP last month, on Wednesday accused the Hemant Soren government in the state of putting his life at risk by withdrawing all security vehicles assigned to him. The former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader alleged that withdrawing his security vehicles was a political conspiracy. The state police, however, rejected the charge saying that five vehicles are still engaged with the security of the former chief minister who also enjoys the services of 63 police personnel. "The Jharkhand government withdrew all security vehicles assigned to me, putting my life at risk, under a political conspiracy. I am not afraid of this move. The people of Jharkhand would provide security to me," Champai Soren told PTI. He asserted that he never compromised with his values and people will give a befitting reply to the JMM-led coalition in the assembly polls due later this year. Asked about Chief Minister Hemant Soren's remarks that the BJP
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday urged the EC to conclude the poll procedure for the assembly elections by the first week of December so that the current government could complete its full term. An EC team headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar came to Ranchi earlier in the day to review the preparedness for the assembly polls due this year. The team held its first meeting with different political parties. JMM representativesMLA Sudivya Kumar and central spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharyaplaced the party's points before the commission. The election for the fifth Jharkhand assembly was completed on December 23, 2019, and the government was formed on December 29. Therefore, if the election of the sixth state assembly is finished by the first week of December, the current state government will get the opportunity to complete its full term, the JMM informed the commission, according to a party statement. The party also urged the EC to bar leaders from
Over 5.52 lakh applications were generated in the first three days of the Jharkhand government's flagship outreach programme, an official said on Tuesday. Aimed at taking welfare schemes to the doorstep of people, the JMM-led government started the fourth leg of 'Aapki Yojana, Aapki Sarkar, Aapke Dwar' (your scheme, your government at your doorstep) on August 30. As of September 2, as many as 1,224 camps were organised across the state and a total of 5,52,836 applications were generated, according to an official statement. Of the total, 42,869 applications were disposed of, while 160 applications were rejected, it stated. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren posted on X, "Your scheme, your government at your doorstep is touching a new height every day." The programme will continue till September 15. Major demand for state government-sponsored housing scheme --Abua Awas Yojana--is evident in the camps. Altogether 2,93,657 applications were received for the scheme till Monday, wh
Champai Soren joined the saffron camp during a ceremony in Ranchi, with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in attendance
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate challenging a Jharkhand High Court order granting bail to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said the high court's June 28 order was "very well reasoned". "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order," the bench said. Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as chief minister shortly before the ED arrested him on January 31 in the case. After coming out of jail on bail in the case, he returned as the chief minister of Jharkhand on July 4. Opposing Soren's bail plea in the high court, the ED had alleged that he misused his position as the chief minister to "unlawfully" acquire 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain area in the state capital Ranchi. Soren's lawyer had contended that he was falsely implicated in the criminal case by the central agency. Th
Earlier today, Champai Soren resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister, paving the way for Hemant Soren's return
A crucial meeting of INDIA bloc legislators began here on Wednesday, amid speculations of a change of guard in the state, MLAs of the alliance said. The meeting has been convened by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. "A change of guard in the state is possible... This meeting is crucial. All the legislators of the ruling alliance assembled here at 11 am," a party source told PTI. The speculations were fuelled by the sudden cancellation of all important programmes of Chief Minister Champai Soren, including distribution of appointment letters to 1,500 selected teachers on Wednesday. On Tuesday, too, all public programmes of Champai Soren, who had taken oath as the 12th CM of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren's arrest, stood ...