Ranchi, Nov 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 25 out of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand, while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is ahead in 10, as counting of postal ballots progresses, according to early trends reported by TV channels. However, the Election Commission has yet to update official trends on its website.
The assembly elections were conducted in two phases on November 13 and 20, with 43 seats going to polls in the first phase and 38 in the second.
Counting began at 8 AM across all 24 counting centres, starting with postal ballots. Votes from the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are scheduled to be counted from 8:30 AM, with the first trends expected around 9:30 AM, officials from the Election Commission said.
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar stated that the counting process is likely to conclude by 4 PM. The number of counting rounds varies, with Torpa assembly segment having the lowest at 13 rounds and Chatra the highest at 24 rounds.
Strict security measures have been implemented at all counting centres. Only returning officers and district election officials are permitted to carry mobile phones inside the centres. Observers have been appointed for each constituency, and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) are overseeing the fair counting of postal ballots.
This year’s voter turnout reached a record 67.74%, the highest since Jharkhand’s formation on November 15, 2000.
The results will determine the political fate of 1,211 candidates, including key figures such as Chief Minister Hemant Soren (Barhait constituency), his wife Kalpana Soren (Gandey), former Chief Minister and BJP state president Babulal Marandi (Dhanwar), and ex-CM Champai Soren (Seraikela).
The counting process continues to shape the electoral landscape in Jharkhand, with all eyes on the final results.
