BJP to announce first list of candidates for Jharkhand Elections, former MP Sudarshan Bhagat likely to contest from Gumla

Ranchi: The Election Commission announced the dates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, prompting political parties to finalize their candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to release its first list of candidates on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. According to sources, the BJP Central Election Committee approved 56 candidates during a meeting held in Delhi on Tuesday, with 22 sitting MLAs retaining their tickets. However, nine sitting MLAs are likely to be dropped.

Former MP Sudarshan Bhagat is also reportedly set to contest in the upcoming elections. The list of possible BJP candidates includes:

1. Bermo – Ravindra Pandey
2. Jharia – Ragini Singh
3. Bokaro – Biranchi Narayan
4. Koderma – Neera Yadav
5. Barkatha – Amit Yadav
6. Jamua – Dr. Manju Devi
7. Barhi – Manoj Yadav
8. Chakradharpur – Shashi Bhushan Samadd
9. Jagannathpur – Geeta Koda
10. Bagodar – Nagendra Mahato
11. Gandey – Munia Devi
12. Giridih – Nirbhay Shahabadi
13. Nirsa – Aparna Sengupta
14. Chandankyari – Amar Bauri
15. Gumla – Sudarshan Bhagat
16. Sisai – Arun Oraon
17. Khijri – Ram Kumar Pahan
18. Saraikela – Champai Soren
19. Rajdhanwar – Babulal Marandi
20. Rajmahal – Anant Ojha
21. Dhanbad – Raj Sinha
22. Godda – Amit Mandal
23. Mahagama – Ashok Bhagat
24. Palamu – Alok Chaurasia
25. Garhwa – Satendra Tiwari
26. Hussainabad – Kamlesh Singh
27. Bhawanathpur – Bhanu Pratap Shahi
28. Khunti – Neelkanth Singh Munda
29. Sarath – Randhir Singh

The BJP is likely to contest 67 of the 81 seats in Jharkhand, with two seats allocated to the Janata Dal United (JDU). The All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) will contest on 10 seats.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) met at the party headquarters on Tuesday to select candidates and firm up strategy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh were among the CEC members who deliberated on the probable list of nominees. Jharkhand election in-charge Shivraj Singh Chouhan, co-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union ministers Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth were also present, besides the party’s Jharkhand unit chief Babulal Marandi and former Union minister Arjun Munda.