Artists from the tribal community play the traditional drums as polling officials with EVMs and other election material leave for their respective polling booths on the eve of the last phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections, in Ranchi, on November 19, 2024.
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Over one crore voters will exercise their franchise in 38 Assembly seats, in the final phase of the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly polls today (November 20, 2024).

Phase-1 of polling in Jharkhand, which took place on November 13, saw a voter turnout of 66.65%, a 2.75% increase from the turnout for the 2019 election. 

Also read | Jharkhand Assrmbly election: Amid ‘infiltrator’ rhetoric, campaigns take different shapes in villages across Santhal Pargana

In the second phase, the BJP is contesting on 32 seats and its ally AJSU on six seats. For the INDIA bloc, JMM is contesting from 20 seats, Congress from 13, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) from four, and RJD from two. The JMM and CPI(ML) will have a friendly contest in Dhanwar while the Congress and RJD will engage in a friendly fight in Chattarpur and Bishrampur.

The prominent candidates in the second phase include Chief Minister Hemant Soren contesting from the Barhait constituency, his wife Kalapana Soren from Gandey, and his brother Basant Soren from Dumka; BJP State president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar; Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri of the BJP, from Chandankiyari; Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law Sita Soren from Jamtara; and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) president Sudhesh Mahato from Silli.

Read live updates here:

New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Sunday hit out at Congress leader Irfan Ansari for his “derogatory remarks” against BJP leader Sita Soren, and asked why he has not been removed from the party yet.

“Congress Minister Irrfan Ansari’s comment on senior leader Sita Soren is unforgivable, indefensible and extremely deplorable. This foul-mouthed abuse by the Congress leader about a senior leader hailing from the tribal community and also who happens to be a widow is an insult by the Congress Party to the entire Nari Shakti of Jharkhand and also a grievous insult by the Congress of the entire tribal community, their great heritage, and tradition,” he said in a self-made video.

He further questioned the Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi as to why he had not been expelled from the party.

“Why has the Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi not sacked this foul-mouthed minister yet? Why have they not removed his candidature for the assembly elections which are happening now? Does it mean that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi in a way approve of this kind of abuse?” he added.

Jharkhand minister and the congress candidate and currently from Jamtara constituency, Irfan Ansari stirred controversy with his remarks about Sita Soren, the BJP candidate from the same constituency after calling her “rejected….” and a “borrowed player.”

Earlier on Saturday, Sita Soren expressed her shock and anguish over the remarks, asking him how he dares to make such comments.

“I am unable to understand where he gets the courage to make such statements. Who is giving him the courage to make such remarks, because no one has ever made such statements against me in Jharkhand…The party has informed the Election Commission about his statement. We will not forgive him…The entire tribal population is angry,” Sita Soren told ANI.

Additionally, the state’s Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Neha Arora confirmed on Saturday that an FIR has been registered against Ansari for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Sita Soren.

“A case of MCC violation has been registered. An FIR has been registered in Jamtara district for violating MCC provisions. Strict advisory has also been issued to all the political parties in this regard,” Neha Arora said.

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

Ranchi:

Jharkhand Additional Chief Electoral Officer Neha Arora on Saturday said that an FIR has been registered against Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari for allegedly making derogatory remarks about BJP leader Sita Soren in Jamtara district.

“An FIR has been registered in Jamtara district for violating MCC (model code of conduct) provisions. A strict advisory has also been issued to all the political parties in this regard,” Neha Arora said.

Union Minister Annapurna Devi said the statement made by Irfan Ansari exposes the mentality of the Congress party.

“He (Irfan Ansari) has given a very wrong statement on Sita Soren. This exposes the mentality of the Congress party. The Congress party is anti-women and anti-youth…I condemn this statement…Will Rahul Gandhi take back the tickets given to people with such a low level of thinking? The Congress party should remove such people from the cabinet,” Annapurna Devi said.

Sita Soren said she was unable to understand how people like Mr Ansari get the courage to make such statements.

“I am unable to understand where he gets the courage to make such statements. Who is giving him the courage to make such statements, because no one has ever made such statements against me in Jharkhand…The party has informed the Election Commission about his statement. We will not forgive him…The entire tribal population is angry,” the BJP leader said.

Another BJP leader, Ragini Singh, said insulting women is the policy of the Congress party.

“This is his mentality. It is the policy of Congress to comment on a woman but BJP policy is to respect all the women whether they are from the Congress or the BJP,” Ms Singh said.

Irfan Ansari, the Congress candidate from the Jamtara constituency, stirred controversy with his remarks about Sita Soren, his opponent from the seat.

On Friday, Sita Soren posted a video on X, claiming that the Congress leader referred to her as “rejected” and a “borrowed player” while responding to a journalist’s question about competing against her in the upcoming election.

The BJP leader also demanded an apology from Mr Ansari for using “indecent language” against her, stating that the public would respond to him.

“Congress @INCIndia candidate Irfan Ansari must apologise for the indecent language he used against me in front of the media immediately after filing his nomination. He has previously made personal comments about me, but this time he has crossed all limits. Irfan ji @IrfanAnsariMLA, apologise, or be prepared for fierce opposition,” she posted on X.

“The indecent words you used while holding such a respected position have alarmed women across society. If you can use such words for me, what must poor and vulnerable women face? As long as such leaders remain in power, women will remain unsafe. The time has come to remove them from power. The way you look at women is now before the public, and the public will respond,” the BJP leader added.

The BJP will contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). The BJP will contest 68 seats, AJSU 10, JDU two, and the LJP from one seat.

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

New Delhi:
The fifth list of candidates of the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections include some people who have crossed over to the party from other organisations. These include industrialist Naveen Jindal, and former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Sita Soren.

Here’s your 5-point cheatsheet: