Ranchi: The BJP has released its second list for the Jharkhand assembly elections, naming Gamliyel Hembrom as its candidate for the Barhait seat, where he will face Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Hembrom previously contested from Barhait in 2019 as an AJSU Party candidate, finishing fourth with 2,573 votes.
Additionally, the BJP announced Vikash Mahto as its candidate for the Tundi seat. Hemant Soren, the sitting MLA from Barhait, won the seat in 2019 by a significant margin of 25,740 votes, making it a stronghold for the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
In the 2019 elections, Soren won both Dumka and Barhait but opted to retain Barhait. The BJP initially released its first list of 66 candidates for the assembly elections on October 19 and is contesting 68 out of 81 seats, with the remaining seats allocated to its allies.
The JMM has declared candidates for 43 of the 81 seats and previously won 30 of those in 2019. The upcoming elections will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with counting scheduled for November 23. Approximately 2.60 crore voters, including first-time voters and senior citizens, will be eligible to vote.
