Jharkhand assembly elections: Key seats in second phase of polling

The second phase of polling in the Jharkhand assembly elections will be held on December 7. Here are the key constituencies which goes to polls on that day.
1. Jamshedpur East: Chief Minister Raghubar Das is seeking a sixth consecutive win from this seat to enter the state assembly. Although this seat is considered a stronghold of the BJP over the last four decades, Das’s problem is the presence of his own party rebel Saryu Rai as an independent candidate. Congress has fielded its national spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, former faculty member at XLRI, Jamshedpur.

2. Khunti: State rural development minister Nilkanth Singh Munda is trying to secure a fifth consecutive victory here. Munda’s apparent problem is the alliance between the JMM and Congress. This seat is part of JMM's share and its nominee is Sushil Pahan. Former CM Babu Lal Marandi-headed JMM has fielded Dayamani Maran from this seat.

3. Torpa: Torpa, which shares boundaries with Khnuti assembly seat, is in the news because of the presence of JMM rebel Paulush Surin. JMM denied a ticket to its sitting MLA Surin and has fielded Sudeep Guria. Surin is now trying to secure a third consecutive term from this seat as an independent candidate. BJP’s nominee for this seat is Koche Munda.

4. Chaibasa: Former IAS officer JB Tubid is trying his luck for Chaibasa seat as a BJP nominee. JMM, which is in alliance with Congress, has fielded its sitting MLA Dipak Biruwa. Tubid was BJP’s nominee for this seat in 2014 assembly elections also. However, he was defeated by Biruwa.

5. Chakradharpur: All eyes are on the Chakradharpur seat in West Singhabhum district. Former MP and BJP state president Laxman Giluwa is contesting from this seat. Giluwa had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Singhabhum of which Chakrdharpur assembly constituency is a part. He is locked in a triangular contest here with JMM’s Sukhram Oraon and AJSU’s Ramlal Munda. JMM has denied ticket to its sitting MLA Shashibhushan Samad, who is now contesting from here as nominee of JVM.

6. Sisai: This seat will decide the fortunes of Jharkhand assembly speaker Dinesh Oraon. He is trying to secure a second consecutive term from this seat. JMM has fielded Jiga Susaran Horo. The alliance between JMM and Congress will really be tested here.