Ranchi: Voting for Jharkhand’s 81 assembly seats will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, voting will take place on November 13 for 43 seats, while the second phase on November 17 will cover 38 seats. The election results will be announced on November 23. In Jharkhand politics, tribal-reserved seats play a crucial role in determining the path to power for any party or coalition, and they also have an influence on other seats. In this election, whichever party wins the majority of the 28 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) will have an easier path to power.
Tribal Reserved Seats Play a Key Role in Winning
Out of the 81 assembly seats in the state, 28 are reserved for tribals, and 9 are reserved for Scheduled Castes. The remaining 44 seats are contested by candidates from the general category. Winning these seats makes the path to power easier for any party.
JMM’s Strong Performance in ST Reserved Seats in 2019
In the 2019 assembly elections, JMM performed well in the seats reserved for tribals, while the BJP lagged behind. Currently, out of the 28 reserved seats, JMM holds 19 ST seats. The INDIA coalition holds a total of 26 seats in this quota, while BJP has only two seats. This dominance helped JMM reach the 30-seat mark in the 2019 elections.
Leaders Focused on Securing Tribal Support
In this election, the JMM-Congress alliance is focused on securing these seats, while the BJP, which has been out of power for five years, is also trying to appeal to the tribal population. BJP leaders are frequently visiting tribal areas.
Bangladeshi Infiltration as a Key Issue
For this assembly election, BJP is targeting JMM on the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration. Senior BJP leaders are attacking Chief Minister Soren over this issue and explaining to the tribal community how Bangladeshi infiltrators are allegedly taking over their lands. The party is also engaging with the community on the issue of religious conversions. Issues like the 1932 Khatiyan-based local policy and the Sarna religion code are priorities for all parties seeking tribal support. It will be interesting to see which party the public places its trust in during the upcoming election.
