Ranchi- The first phase of Jharkhand’s Assembly elections will be held on Wednesday, November 13, with 43 seats up for grabs. A fierce contest is expected between the NDA and INDIA Bloc alliances. In the 2019 elections, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance claimed 25 of these seats, while the BJP won 13. This time, the NDA is determined to improve its tally, while the INDIA Bloc seeks to build on its past success.

The election stakes are high, with six ministers and several notable leaders vying for seats. Former Chief Minister Champai Soren, now with the BJP after a recent switch, is contesting from his long-held Saraikela seat, facing JMM’s Ganesh Mahali. Both candidates previously represented opposing parties, adding a twist to the contest.

In Lohardaga, Congress Minister Rameshwar Oraon faces a tougher race against Neeru Shanti Bhagat of AJSU, with the BJP-AJSU alliance now united. Garhwa is set for a three-way fight, with Minister Mithilesh Thakur of the JMM defending his seat against BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwari and Samajwadi Party’s Girinath Singh.

Jamshedpur West will witness a high-stakes duel between Congress Minister Banna Gupta and former JDU Minister Saryu Rai. Meanwhile, in Chaibasa, JMM Minister Deepak Birua faces first-time BJP candidate Geeta Balmuchu, who has garnered strong local support.

Other key contests include Ghatsila, where JMM Minister Ramdas Soren is up against Babulal Soren from the BJP, and Latehar, where JMM’s Baidyanath Ram hopes to break the seat’s tradition of electing a new MLA each term.

In Ranchi, former BJP Speaker C.P. Singh faces JMM’s Dr. Mahua Maji. BJP’s Meera Munda, wife of ex-CM Arjun Munda, takes on JMM’s Sanjeev Sardar in Potka. Jaganathpur sees Congress MLA Sona Ram Sinku competing against Geeta Koda, wife of former CM Madhu Koda.

Jamshedpur East rounds out the lineup with Congress’ Ajay Kumar, BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu, and BJP rebel Shivshankar Singh vying for the seat.