30 October,2024 05:49 PM IST | Chaibasa, Jharkhand | mid-day online correspondent
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. File Pic
Assam Chief Minister and BJP co-in-charge for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, Himanta Biswa Sarma, convened a meeting with party workers in Chaibasa on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.
The gathering was aimed to address the internal dissent regarding the party's candidate, Geeta Balmuchu, for the Chaibasa constituency.
After the discussions, Sarma reassured that the party workers were no longer upset and expressed optimism about their collaboration moving forward. He stated, "They are not upset... They will all work together," highlighting a united front as the elections approach.
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The Assam chief minister expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in Jharkhand and asserted that "Our party is in a very strong position... We will fight the elections well, and this time, we will try to win all the seats in Chaibasa."
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Chaibasa on November 4 to bolster campaign efforts ahead of the elections.
Chaibasa, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, will see a competitive race between BJP's Geeta Balmuchu and the incumbent MLA from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Deepak Birua.
In light of the upcoming elections, the Election Commission has intensified efforts to prevent the distribution of inducements such as cash, liquor, and other freebies to the poll-bound states ahead of the elections.
Notably, seizures amounting to Rs 345 crores have been recorded since the election announcement, with Jharkhand accounting for over Rs 114 crores of this total and Rs 175 crores in Maharashtra, and the remaining seizures from the by-election bound states in the country.
Seizures so far have already surpassed 2019 Assembly election seizures in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, which were a total of Rs 122.67 crore, as reported by ANI.
Approximately 2.60 crore voters are eligible to participate, including over 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 66.84 lakh young voters. The state has 1.31 crore male voters and 1.29 crore female voters.
In the previous assembly elections, the JMM secured 30 seats, while the BJP won 25 and Congress claimed 16 seats.
The elections for 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly will take place in two phases on November 13 and November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.
(With inputs from ANI)
