New Delhi: The Jharkhand Assembly elections will be conducted in five phases, the Election Commission announced Friday. The polling will start November 30 and will also be held December 7, December 12, December 16 and December 20. Counting will take place December 23 and the results will be announced the same day.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das-led BJP is hoping to retain power in the tribal-dominated state, where the saffron party won 37 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections. The BJP was able to form the government after six MLAs from ex-Chief Minister Babulal Marandi’s party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) joined the BJP soon after the elections.
It should also be stated here that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had earlier announced that it will tie up with the Congress for the Assembly elections. JMM has 19 MLAs while the Congress has eight in the present Assembly, the term of which ends in January, 2020.
Agencies