4 turncoats, 3 losing Lok Sabha candidates in BJP's 1st list for Jharkhand polls

Jharkhand polls: The prominent turncoats who have been fielded by the BJP are former Chief Minister Champai Soren, Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Geeta Koda, the wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

In Short

• Ex-Chief Minister Champai Soren, formerly from JMM, contesting from Saraikela
• Sita Soren, a former JMM MLA, has been fielded from Jamtara
• Ex-Congress MP Geeta Koda fielded from Jaganathpur on BJP ticket

Six turncoats, including two, who joined the BJP from other parties or had contested in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and lost have found a place in the saffron party's first list of 66 candidates for next month's Assembly polls in Jharkhand.

The prominent candidates who have been fielded by the BJP are former Chief Minister Champai Soren, Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Geeta Koda, the wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

Champai Soren, who served as the Chief Minister for five months (February to July) when Hemant Soren was jailed in a land fraud case earlier this year, left JMM to join the BJP in August. While joining the party, Champai Soren alleged he was being humiliated by the JMM leadership. He has now been fielded from Saraikela while his son Babulal Soren will contest from Ghatsila.

Sita Soren, also a former JMM MLA who was expelled by the party for "anti-party activities" in May, was fielded from Dumka in the Lok Sabha election after joining the BJP. But she lost to JMM candidate Nalin Soren. This time, Sita Soren will contest from Jamtara, where she hopes to spring a surprise by defeating Irfan Ansari, a three-time MLA from Congress.

Sita Soren, a three-term MLA, cited "isolation" and "neglect" by the JMM since the death of her husband Durga Soren, the elder brother of Hemant Soren, in 2009.

Geeta Koda, the lone Jharkhand Congress MP, had joined the BJP in February and was fielded from Singhbhum, a tribal dominated seat, in the Lok Sabha elections. She was, however, defeated by JMM's Joba Majhi. The BJP has now fielded her from Jaganathpur.

Other turncoats who have been given a BJP ticket are - Lobin Hembrom (Borio) and Kamlesh Singh (Hussainabad). Hembrom had joined the BJP after leaving JMM along with Champai Soren. Singh, on the other hand, an MLA from Sharad Pawar-led NCP, has been fielded from Hussainabad on a BJP ticket.

Saryu Rai, a former BJP leader, who defeated former Chief Minister Raghubar Das as an independent in the 2019 Assembly polls, will now contest from Jamshedpur West on a JD(U) ticket. Raghubar Das's daughter-in-law Purnima Das Sahu has been fielded from Jamshedpur East, a BJP stronghold.

Sameer Oraon, who lost to Congress's Sukhdeo Bhagat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has been fielded from Bishunpur on a BJP ticket.

OTHER KEY CANDIDATES IN BJP LIST

Sunil Soren, who defeated JMM supremo Shibu Soren in the 2019 Assembly polls, has been given a ticket from Dumka. He was earlier supposed to contest the Lok Sabha polls but was dropped in favour of Sita Soren, who lost subsequently.

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Arjun Munda's wife Meera Munda will contest from Potka in Kolhan, where the party is hoping to improve its tally in the region after drawing a blank there in the 2019 Assembly polls.

On Friday, the BJP-led NDA announced its seat-sharing formula for Jharkhand. While the BJP will contest on 68 seats, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will contest on 10 seats, JD(U) on two and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on one seat.

Jharkhand, which has 81 seats, will vote in two phases on November 13 and 20. Counting of votes will take place on November 23.

In the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly election, the JMM-led alliance won 47 seats — 30 for the JMM and 16 for Congress. The BJP secured 25 seats.