Soren high; BJP loses Jharkhand

Ranchi/New Delhi: Trumping the BJP, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has emerged as the single-largest party in the 81-seat Assembly with party leader Hemant Soren set to stake claim to power in the state.

The JMM-Congress alliance has comfortably crossed the majority mark of 41

The Opposition alliance of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and the RJD will form the next government displacing the BJP which ruled the state for the last 5 years.

For the BJP, which was confident of retaining power in the state, the defeat is shocking as Chief Minister Raghubar Das is trailing to party rebel Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur East Assembly seat.

Also, the party may no longer be the single largest party in the state with the JMM set to take that tag.

Speaking to reporters, JMM working president Hemant Soren, who is set to be the new Chief Minister of the state, said: "A new chapter has started for Jharkhand, people's expectations will be fulfilled."

Hemant Soren thanked the people of the state for giving the alliance a clear majority "The future course of action will be decided in consultation with the allies," he said. In the last Assembly elections, the BJP had bagged 37 seats.

Its ally All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) had won 5 seats. The two parties contested these elections separately after they could not come to an agreement on sharing of seats.

The JMM, the Congress and the RJD which could stitch a pre-poll alliance managed to improve its tally in the elections. In the last elections, the JMM had bagged 19 seats and the Congress managed 6. The RJD had failed to open its account in the last elections.

Former chief minister Babulal Marandi, who was expected to play the kingmaker, had won 8 seats in the last assembly elections.

His party's count is expected to come down to 3.

Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah said his party respects the mandate of Jharkhand voters, as it lost to the rival JMM-Congress alliance in the Assembly elections.

In a tweet, Shah also expressed his gratitude to the people of Jharkhand for giving the BJP a chance to govern the state for five years and asserted that his party remains committed to its development.

He also lauded BJP workers for their "untiring" efforts in the Assembly polls.