Elections LIVE | Maharashtra votes in Mahayuti again, Jharkhand retains INDIA bloc
Jharkhand CM's brother Basant Soren wins Dumka
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's brother Basant Soren won the Dumka assembly seat by 14,588 votes on Saturday, according to the Election Commission.
BJP candidate Sunil Soren was in second place in the seat, securing 81,097 votes. The JMM candidate got 95,685 votes.
Basant Soren won the Dumka seat in a bypoll in 2020, defeating BJP's Lois Marandi by 6,842 votes.
In 2019, Hemant Soren contested two seats -- Barhait and Dumka -- and won both. Later, he vacated the Dumka seat from where his brother Basant Soren got elected in the bypoll.
BJP's Jharkhand loss deeply painful for me: Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP co-incharge for the assembly elections in Jharkhand, said the party's loss was deeply painful for him.
Sarma, however, said that the people's mandate must be accepted as that is the true essence of democracy.
"The loss in Jharkhand is deeply painful for me personally, even though we secured victory in all five by-elections in Assam. I have witnessed the unwavering dedication and relentless efforts of our Karyakartas in Jharkhand, who gave their all in this election," he said in a post on X.
Sarma said the BJP fought the elections with a vision to protect the state from "infiltration" and to lead it on the path of development, fulfilling the aspirations of students and the youth.
"However, we must humbly accept the mandate of the people, for that is the true essence of democracy. In these challenging times, we will stand firmly with our Karyakartas, offering them unwavering support and solidarity," he said.
Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance was all set to retain power in Jharkhand with a massive mandate. The BJP emerged as the second largest party but its performance was poorer than its expectations.