Violence Erupts in Jharkhand After Election Results

Ranchi - Following the announcement of the Jharkhand Assembly election results, multiple incidents of violence, vandalism, and clashes have erupted across the state, allegedly stemming from political rivalry. Police have registered complaints related to several incidents.

One notable incident occurred in Mohammadpur village, within the Barhait Assembly constituency of Chief Minister-designate Hemant Soren, where Imam Mirza and his family were allegedly attacked by JMM workers. Mirza's BJP rival, Gamliyel Hembrom, alleges the family was assaulted with stones and beaten for supporting the BJP during the election. Two individuals were injured in the incident.

Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi condemned the attack on social media, attributing it to political motivation. He stated, "He was targeted for expressing faith in the BJP and voting for the lotus symbol. After the poll results, goons of the JMM are beating BJP supporting voters, even threatening them to expel them from the villages." Marandi further alleged, "After love jihad and land jihad, Jharkhand is now under the grip of stone pelters. People are being assaulted, houses demolished, and threats issued."

Further allegations of vandalism surfaced from Madhupur Assembly constituency in the Deoghar district. BJP candidate Ganga Narayan Singh accused JMM supporters of attacking BJP worker Sanjay Gupta's house in Madankata village during a celebratory rally. The mob allegedly attempted to remove the BJP flag from the residence.

In Barkagaon constituency, Hazaribagh district, former Congress MLA Amba Prasad reported that supporters of the newly elected BJP MLA damaged the windshield of her car a day after the results were declared. Prasad shared an image of the damaged vehicle on social media, questioning the motives behind the attack. Amba Prasad questioned the motives behind the attack, asking, "Why do you have personal enmity with me? The public has elected you for service and development, not to spread fear and hooliganism. This is not just about broken glass but broken trust and the state of politics."

These incidents have drawn widespread condemnation across party lines, highlighting the deep political divisions in the state following the election. The INDIA bloc won 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. The JMM, Congress, RJD, and CPI-ML-L won 34, 16, 4, and 2 seats, respectively.