With the BJP almost sweeping the elections, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has failed the first major electoral test after taking over the helm of affairs of the JMM in Jharkhand.
It is as much a drubbing for the ruling JMM-led coalition, of which the Congress and the RJD are a part. The BJP, which had won 10 seats in 2009, improved its tally by two to win 12 out of the 14 seats the State sends to the Lok Sabha with the JMM bagging the other two.
It dealt a big blow to both the tribal leaders — Shibu Soren of the JMM and Babu Lal Marandi of the JVM(P) — who had formed his own outfit after parting ways with the BJP. While Mr. Soren has been able to save his own skin, Mr. Marandi, however, lost his seat.
It was a big loss for the JVM(P) as it had two seats in the Lok Sabha and it failed to open its account this time.
The Congress had contested the lion’s share of the seats contesting nine seats, and sparing four for the JMM and one for the RJD. It was on this seat-sharing arrangement that the Congress had allowed the JMM to form the government in Jharkhand.
The Congress lost its lone seat and failed to open its account. The RJD too failed to open its account.
The JMM chief had passed the baton on to his son in the hope that he would revive the party by connecting well with the youth.
Both the tribal parties have fared badly but the BJP on its own is not in a position to disturb the political equilibrium, particularly because Mr. Marandi was unlikely to allow any BJP design to grab power to succeed.
In the 81-member house, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance accounts for 35 members and survives by taking advantage of the political hotchpotch that affects all parties including the BJP which has 19 members in the house. One of its MLAs has been elected to the Lok Sabha which would bring its strength down to 18.
The JVM(P) has 10 members while AJSU has 6. Most of the independents are supporting the government.
