Jharkhand election results: CM Hemant Soren leads from Barhait
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has taken the lead in Barhait. He has overtaken Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gamliyel Hembrom and currently holds a lead of 716 votes, as per India Today. Soren had won Barhait with 62,515 votes in 2014, defeating the BJP's Hemlal Murmu, who got 38,428 votes.
Soren's political journey and recent challenges
Soren, who is also the president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has been representing Barhait since 2014. He had won the Dumka seat in 2009 and again in 2019 but opted to keep Barhait after the latter victory. Soren's political career includes serving as Jharkhand's deputy chief minister from 2010 to 2013 and as Leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2019.
Soren's legal troubles and return to power
Notably, Soren had stepped down as chief minister before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a land scam case on January 31 this year. After his resignation, JMM appointed Champai Soren as the interim CM, but he later joined the BJP. After getting bail and being released on June 28, Soren returned to the chief minister's chair.
Barhait constituency and larger political battle
The Barhait constituency falls in Sahebganj district and under the Rajmahal Parliamentary constituency. It spans across several police stations and gram panchayats in Sahebganj and Godda districts. Exit polls have given mixed predictions, some favoring an NDA victory. The constituency has 277 voting stations. Jharkhand had approximately 30,000 polling booths set up for the Assembly elections this year.
