JMM's Somesh Soren leads by 20,807 votes in Ghatshila bypoll

JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren was leading by 20,807 votes over his nearest rival Babulal Soren of the BJP in the by-election to the Ghatshila assembly seat in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Friday, officials said. After the 10th round of counting, the JMM candidate secured 53,096 votes, while the BJP nominee got 32,289 votes. JLKM candidate Ramdas Murmu was in the third position with 7,811 votes. The counting of votes for the Ghatshila bypoll began at 8 am at the Jamshedpur Cooperative College, amid tight security arrangements, the official said. The bypoll has turned into a prestige battle for both the ruling JMM and the BJP, even though the election result will not have any major impact on the Hemant Soren government. The JMM-led ruling alliance currently has 55 MLAs in the 81-member state assembly, while the BJP-led NDA has 24.

A 74.63 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the bypoll on November 11. East Singhbhum District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Deputy Commissioner (DC) Karn Satyarthi said the counting is underway. A total of 20 rounds of counting will be conducted on 19 tables, he said. Thirteen candidates are in the fray, but the main contest is likely to be between Somesh Chandra Soren of the JMM and the BJP's Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren. Somesh is the son of JMM MLA Ramdas Soren, whose death on August 15 necessitated the bypoll. "We were confident of victory of JMM candidate in Ghatshila, as late Ramdas Soren had done many welfare works for people in his constituency. Our candidate will register a thumping victory," JMM MP Mahua Maji said. The late Ramdas Soren had defeated BJP's Babulal Soren by over 22,000 votes in the 2024 assembly poll. Somesh Chandra Soren entered into a political battle for the first time.