Dhanbad:

The principal of a private school in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district was accused of ordering 80 girls of class 10 to remove their shirts for writing messages on them, prompting the administration to initiate an inquiry, an official said on Saturday.

The girls were allegedly forced to return home in their blazers without shirts beneath.

The incident took place in a prestigious school in Digwadih under Jorapokhar police station area on Friday, Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Madhvi Mishra said.

The parents complained to the DC that class 10 students, after completing their examination, were celebrating ‘pen day’ by writing messages on each others’ shirts.

The principal objected to the celebration and asked the students to remove their shirts, even though they sought an apology. All students were sent back home in their blazers without the shirts, the parents told the DC.

“Several guardians lodged complaints against the principal. We also talked to some of the victim girls. The administration has taken the matter seriously. A committee has been set up to investigate the matter,” Mishra said.

The committee consists of the sub-divisional magistrate, district education officer, district social welfare officer and the sub-divisional police officer.

Action would be taken on the basis of the probe panel’s report, the DC said.

Jharia MLA Ragini Singh also accompanied the parents to the DC’s office on Saturday when they lodged the complaints against the principal.

Jharia MLA Ragini Singh described the incident as “shameful and unfortunate”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

A mentally disturbed woman, now in her fifties and currently lodged in West Bengal’s Midnapore Central Correctional Home, will finally get to meet her family after eight years, thanks to the efforts of HAM radio enthusiasts.

Members of the West Bengal Radio Club, also known as HAM radio, on Tuesday managed to locate the woman’s family in Jharkhand’s Palamu district. After completing official procedures, she will soon be handed over to her family, they said.

It all started in 2017 when police arrested the woman for illegally entering a prohibited area in Kalaikunda defence land. She was later granted bail by a court, but trouble brewed when no one came to take her home.

“She could not explain properly where she was from, and there was no response from the address that was mentioned by police during her arrest,” explained Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club. “She remained in the correctional facility as no legal authority could be found to take responsibility,” he added.

On November 6 this year, Aniruddha Ghosh, the correctional home’s welfare officer, contacted the HAM radio club for help.

“Ghosh contacted us after learning that the woman was actually from Jharkhand’s Palamu district, not Uttar Pradesh as mentioned by police,” Biswas told PTI.

Ghosh contacted the radio club after Shahid Parvez, the secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) of Paschim Medinipur, spoke to the woman himself. After listening to her dialect, he suggested that she might be from Jharkhand rather than Uttar Pradesh. Parvez joined as the DLSA here about one-and-a-half months ago.

“Once he raised the doubt about her place of origin, the radio club was contacted and they swung into action,” he said.

After almost a month of searching, the woman’s family was finally traced to Jharkhand’s Palamu. Her husband, Lalji Chowdhury, had filed a missing person report with the local police in 2017, stating that his wife had gone missing.

The couple has a daughter and two sons, and they live in a village under the jurisdiction of Chainpur police station, Biswas said.

Her husband told the authorities, “She was not very stable mentally, but we never imagined she would leave the house and go missing.” He said they are now making arrangements to travel to West Bengal to meet his wife and bring her home once all formalities are completed.

The local police in Palamu will verify all the details and inform the authorities in West Bengal to ensure that the woman is indeed going back to her family, sources said.

“The mistake happened when police registered the case. They mentioned that she was from Uttar Pradesh. She was granted bail in 2018, but she had to remain here all these years because the authorities were trying to contact her family in Uttar Pradesh, while she was actually from Jharkhand,” Parvez told PTI over the phone.

“I’m happy that we could locate her family,” Parvez added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

Hemant Soren, 49, has carved a significant place on Jharkhand’s political scoreboard, building on his legacy with determination, skill, and resilience. Sworn in as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister for the fourth time on Thursday, a record in the 24 years of the existence of Jharkhand, Soren has demonstrated an enduring ability to adapt and grow in a complex political landscape.

Born on August 10, 1975, in Nemra village under Gola block of the then Hazaribagh district, Hemant is the third child of Shibu Soren, founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). In the 1970s, Shibu Soen was deeply involved in establishing the JMM to spearhead the demand for a separate Jharkhand state.

Hemant’s early education began at Central School in Bokaro and continued at MG High School in Patna, where he completed his matriculation in 1990 and intermediate studies in 1994. Enrolling in mechanical engineering at BIT Mesra, Ranchi, Hemant left his studies midway to enter politics, beginning his career in 2003 as President of the Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha, the student wing of the JMM.

In 2005, Hemant contested the Dumka Assembly seat but lost to Stephen Marandi. His political journey took a turn in 2009 after the sudden death of his elder brother Durga Soren, the presumed political successor to Shibu Soren.

Hemant stepped up to support his grieving family and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2009. However, later that year, he won the Dumka Assembly seat, resigning from the Rajya Sabha to focus on state politics.

Shibu Soren, meanwhile, worked to establish Hemant as his successor within the JMM, despite internal resistance from senior leaders like Stephen Marandi, Simon Marandi, and Champai Soren. Ultimately, Hemant emerged as the party’s face.

In 2010, JMM joined forces with the BJP to form a coalition government, with Hemant serving as Deputy Chief Minister under Arjun Munda. However, in January 2013, he withdrew support from the Munda government, citing policy disagreements on local issues, leading to the imposition of President’s Rule. Six months later, Hemant played his first political card when he formed a coalition government with the Congress and RJD, taking oath as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister for the first time in July 2013.

After a brief tenure as Chief Minister for 17 months, the JMM faced defeat in the 2014 Assembly elections. However, as Leader of the Opposition, Hemant redefined his political strategy, rallying against the Raghubar Das-led BJP government on issues like land laws affecting tribal identity. His efforts paid off in the 2019 elections when the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance secured 47 seats, dethroning the BJP. Hemant Soren became Chief Minister for the second time on December 29, 2019.

During his second term, Hemant faced serious allegations, including mining and land scams. In January 2024, he was jailed in a money laundering case, forcing him to step down for five months. However, his incarceration enhanced his image as a resilient leader. Meanwhile, his wife, Kalpana Soren, rose as a political force, and together they led the JMM to an electoral comeback.

Hemant Soren’s political journey is a testament to his ability to blend legacy with grit, shaping Jharkhand’s destiny while overcoming formidable challenges. With the start of his fourth tenure, Soren hopes to leave a mark on the state’s politics.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner in a forested area and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.

The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.

Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.

“The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested,” Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.

Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.

“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand,” Singh told PTI.

Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man’s village.

“Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife,” Singh said.

The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.

Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman’s belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter’s belongings.

“The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces,” the official added.

The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.

Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

After registering a decisive victory in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Hemant Soren is set to take oath as Chief Minister on Monday, sources said. Mr Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance triumphed in the polls, setting the stage for him to return as Chief Minister. Despite facing a fierce challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance, which mounted an aggressive campaign, the JMM managed to secure 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, far surpassing the BJP’s 24. 

According to sources, Mr Soren will meet Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar today to stake claim to form the government. 

Hemant Soren’s Trials, Tribulations 

Mr Soren, who had faced political turmoil this year, including a legal battle and an arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), emerged stronger than ever. in the recent polls. The 49-year-old won from the Barhait constituency, where he defeated BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. 

READ | NDA Decimates Opposition In Maharashtra, Jharkhand Stays With INDIA

After his release on bail earlier this year, Mr Soren returned to the political fray with renewed vigour. His wife, Kalpana Soren, who played a key role in keeping the JMM ship steady in his absence, won her seat in Gandey with a margin of 17,142 votes. 

In a statement following the election results, Mr Soren expressed gratitude to the people of Jharkhand, terming the INDIA bloc’s strong showing as a “passing of the exam of democracy.” The JMM’s victory is widely seen as a reaffirmation of the tribal vote’s loyalty to Mr Soren’s leadership, despite the best efforts by the BJP to wrest power from the incumbent government.

BJP: Aggressive Yet Unsuccessful

The BJP, led by prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, launched a high-octane campaign targeting the Soren-led government’s alleged corruption and accusations of fostering “infiltration” from Bangladesh. Despite the extensive reach of the BJP’s campaign, which included rallies by the party’s top brass, the NDA’s strategy fell flat, failing to replicate its Maharashtra victory.

The BJP contested 68 seats and secured only 21, with its vote share standing at 33.18 per cent, a figure that was still higher than JMM’s 23.44 per cent, but not enough to secure a majority. 

READ | Hemant Soren Shuts Jharkhand Door To NDA, What He Said In Victory Speech

The party faced internal bickering, especially regarding nominations for “turncoat” candidates, with several prominent party leaders, such as former BJP members Kedar Hazra and Louis Marandi, switching allegiance to the JMM just ahead of the elections. Some analysts argue that the BJP’s inability to project a local tribal leader as the face of its campaign in Jharkhand was a tactical misstep.

JMM’s Winning Strategy

The JMM’s campaign focused heavily on welfare schemes aimed at addressing the economic challenges faced by the state’s rural population. One of the key policies that resonated with the voters was the Maiyan Samman Yojna, a scheme that provides financial assistance to women in the age group of 18-50 years. Initially offering Rs 1,000 per month, the JMM promised to increase this amount to Rs 2,500 after the election results. 

In addition to this, Mr Soren’s government waived farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, benefiting over 1.75 lakh farmers. Other populist measures included the waiver of outstanding electricity bills and the introduction of a free electricity scheme for up to 200 units, which particularly appealed to lower-income households. 

The JMM’s victory is not just a win for Mr Soren, but also for his family’s deep connection with the state’s tribal communities. His father, Shibu Soren, the JMM’s founding leader and a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, remains an influential figure in state politics. Both Shibu Soren and his wife, Rupi Soren, were seen blessing their son and daughter-in-law after the election results.
 

New Delhi:

As the JMM-led INDIA bloc crossed the majority mark in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Chief Minister Hemant Soren took to social media to share a photograph of him and his children. The JMM chief and his wife Kalpana Soren are parents to two boys. Sharing a picture of his two sons, he wrote, “My strength.” 

The ruling JMM-led alliance – which includes the Congress and the RJD – under Mr Soren’s leadership, appears poised to secure a majority in the 81-member Assembly, as per the latest Election Commission data. With leads in 51 seats, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance seems to have effectively countered the BJP-led NDA, which was ahead in 29 constituencies.

मेरी शक्ति pic.twitter.com/6NP6O6Vl7R

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) November 23, 2024

The BJP entered the fray with aggressive campaigning, focusing on issues such as “infiltrators” in the Santhal Parganas region. However, this narrative appears to have been overshadowed by the JMM’s emphasis on tribal identity and local pride, particularly amidst controversies surrounding Mr Soren’s legal battles and allegations of corruption.

According to the latest trends, the JMM was leading in 31 seats, the Congress in 14, and the RJD in four. The BJP held 26 leads, while smaller parties, including the AJSU Party and LJP (Ram Vilas), were ahead in a few scattered constituencies.

Key figures in the race include BJP state president Babulal Marandi, who maintained a lead in Dhanwar, and Congress heavyweight Rameshwar Oraon, who led in Lohardaga. On the JMM front, Mr Soren himself held a comfortable lead in Barhait, while his wife, Kalpana Soren, was trailing in Gandey.

The elections saw a record voter turnout of 67.74%, the highest since Jharkhand’s formation in 2000. Held in two phases on November 13 and 20, the polls reflected a deeply divided electorate. Exit polls had predicted a range of outcomes, with some forecasting a clear NDA win, while others saw the JMM-led bloc emerging victorious.

The JMM’s steady climb in the early hours of counting, despite a BJP surge, highlights the shifting dynamics of Jharkhand’s political landscape. The party’s grassroots connections, coupled with its emphasis on tribal rights and welfare, seem to have paid dividends against the BJP’s focus on national issues.

As counting progresses, the INDIA bloc appears confident of crossing the majority mark of 41 seats. If the trends hold, Hemant Soren is set to return as Chief Minister, buoyed by what he has described as the “strength” drawn not just from his family but also from the people of Jharkhand.

The Election Commission of India announced the voting dates for Maharashtra this afternoon. Voting in Maharashtra will take place on November 20 and votes will be counted three days later on November 23. Meanwhile, Jharkhand will vote in two phases on November 13 and 20. Counting for both states will take place on November 23. The Chief Election Commissioner said with elections, were are setting gold standards, referring to the ‘free and fair elections’ in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2019, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising a then unified Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with the Congress, had won 154 of 288 seats. This time, the Shiv Sena and NCP split into two factions. 

Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is ready to lock horns with the BJP. In the 2019 elections, JMM won 30 seats and formed the government with the Congress, which has won 16 seats.

Here are the Live Updates on the big story:

Chief Election Commissioner Responds To Queries On EVMs
“Before 5-6 months of polls, checking begins. At every step of the EVM process, political parties or their agents are present. We put in a new battery and after sealing there are signatures of the agent. There’s 3-layer of security including CAPF and observers. The process is videographed. The EVM numbers are also shared. When polls are closed, even then we take signatures. How much more can we show? On counting day, it goes inside barricading. There’s a provision for objecting to any of this at any stage which did not happen,” Mr Rajiv Kumar said.

“It has a single-use battery which can be used for 5-7 days. It’s like a calculator battery. We have made a provision. It is initially marked as it’s 99 per cent and charged. It can differ based on the voltage difference. When it drops to 5.8%, it gives a signal,” he said.

“Matter Of Introspection For Media”: Chief Election Commissioner On Exit Polls

“Because of exit polls and expectations set by them a big distortion is being created. This is a matter of introspection. We need to consider the sample size, what was the result. If my result doesn’t match with the actual result, we need to think about it,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said.

“It creates an expectation which has no scientific basis. The leads shown at 8.05 and 8.10 are nonsense. The counting starts at 8.30. Is it to validate the exit polls? We reflect results at 9.30, 11.30 then 1.30. It takes some time to upload results because of all the processes. So, when the actual results come, there is a mismatch. The gap between expectation and reality is frustration,” he added.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Assembly Elections: Full Schedule Of Polling In 2 States

Maharashtra to vote in single phase (288 seats)

Date of Poll: November 20 

Counting of Votes: November 23

Jharkhand – Polls in 2 phases (81 seats)

Date of poll: Nov 13, Nov 20

Counting of votes: November 23

Jharkhand Elections Date Live: Full Schedule

Election Dates Live: Schedule For Bye-Elections

Jharkhand Elections Date Live: Voting To Take Place In 2 Phases, Counting On November 23
Voting in Jharkhand will take place in two phases – November 13 and November 20. Counting will take place on November 23.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Full Schedule

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Voting On November 20, Counting On November 23

Maharashtra

Start of Nomination: 22 October

Last date for Nomination: 29 October

Date of Poll: 20 November

Date of Counting: 23 November

Maharashtra Elections Date: Elections in Maharashtra To Be Held In Single Phase
Voting in Maharashtra will take place in a single phase, announces Election Commission of India.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election Dates Live: Over 12 Crore Electors Eligible To Vote
Over 12 crore electors are eligible to vote in Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.

Jharkhand Elections Date Live: Total Electors In The State

Jharkhand Elections Date Live: General Overview Of Polling Stations In The State

Maharashtra Elections Date Live: General Overview Of Electorates In Maharashtra

Elections Date Live: We Reviewed Situation In Maharashtra and Jharkhand

“We recently visited Maharashtra and Jharkhand and reviewed the situation there after several meetings with officials,” Mr Kumar said.

Elections Live: “Setting Gold Standards In Every Election,” Says Poll Body Chief
“Before starting the briefing, I would like to congratulate all voters from Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir for participating in big numbers. India is setting records in every election. We are setting a new gold standard…We declare are will and intent first and fulfill,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Assembly Elections: Poll Body Briefing Begins
Election Commission presser begins. The poll body will be announcing the dates for Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Congress Expels MLA After He Joins Ajit Pawar’s Faction

The Congress has expelled MLA Hiraman Khoskar from the party for six years for indulging in “anti-party activities” after he joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

He Khoskar, who represents the Igatpuri assembly constituency in Nashik district, joined the ruling NCP on Monday.

In a letter dated October 14, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said the legislator was involved in “anti-party activities during the Lok Sabha polls and even after that”.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Assembly Elections: Congress Appoints Observers For Polls
The Congress on Tuesday appointed division-wise AICC senior observers for the Maharashtra Assembly polls with Ashok Gehlot and G Parameshwara to look after the Mumbai and Konkan region and Sachin Pilot and Uttam Kumar Reddy to oversee the Marathwada region.

As the Congress gets battle-ready for the next round of assembly polls, the opposition party also appointed three AICC senior observers for Jharkhand assembly elections — Tariq Anwar, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu.

Elections Date Live: Break-up Of Seats In 2019 Maharashtra Elections
Maharashtra has 288 seats, with a majority mark of 145. In 2019, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats but the undivided NCP, Shiv Sena and the Congress formed the government after winning 54, 56 and 44 seats respectively, forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Thirteen independent candidates won in the polls and one seat was won by a political party.

Elections Date Live: Break-up Of Seats In 2019 Jharkhand Elections

Jharkhand has 81 assembly seats with a majority mark of 41. The 2019 elections saw a close contest between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the BJP, with the former winning 30 and the latter securing 25 seats. The Congress emerged as the third-largest party with 16 seats.

The JVM (Jharkhand Vikas Morcha) got 3 seats, the AJSU (All Jharkhand Students Union) won 2 seats. Two independent candidates won in the 2019 elections along with three other parties winning one-one seat each.

Assembly Elections Live: Maharashtra, Jharkhand Elections Will Be The Last Set Of Polls In 2024

This year’s election will probably be the last prestige battle of 2024 with the fractured Shiv Sena and NCP battling the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.

Sources in the BJP told NDTV the party will contest on 158 of the state’s 288 seats. It has offered 70 seats to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and 50 to Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party.

The Congress, battered by the Haryana defeat, will face an upbeat BJP. Among the key figures to be watched out in the poll season in Maharashtra will be Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who has held a series of hunger strikes to demand reservation for the community.