SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 23: Amidst the INDI Alliance wave sweeping the state, the CPIML secured a significant victory by wresting two seats from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dhanbad district. Of the six assembly seats in the district, BJP won three, CPIML two, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) retained its Tundi seat.
In this 2024 election, BJP claimed victory in Dhanbad Sadar and Baghmara and snatched the Jharia seat from Congress. Meanwhile, CPIML won the Nirsa and Sindri seats, and JMM held on to Tundi.
Notably, Nirsa and Sindri, once strongholds of the Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC), were claimed by CPIML after MCC merged with it in October this year.
Key wins and defeats in Dhanbad district
Former MLA Arup Chatterjee, contesting on a CPIML ticket, reclaimed the Nirsa seat by defeating BJP’s sitting MLA Aparna Sengupta. Babloo Mahto (CPIML), son of former MLA Anand Mahto, triumphed in Sindri, defeating BJP’s Tara Devi, wife of sitting MLA Indrajit Mahto.
In the 2019 elections, BJP had won four seats in Dhanbad district—Dhanbad Sadar, Sindri, Nirsa, and Baghmara—while Congress and JMM secured one seat each, Jharia and Tundi, respectively.
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Raj Sinha makes hattrick in Dhanbad Sadar
Raj Sinha of the BJP achieved a historic milestone by winning the Dhanbad Sadar seat for the third consecutive time. Sinha defeated Congress candidate Ajay Dubey.
He previously won the seat in 2014 and 2019, becoming the second BJP leader after P.N. Singh to achieve this feat in Dhanbad.
Ragini Singh reclaims Jharia seat
BJP leader Ragini Singh secured a comeback victory in her family stronghold of Jharia, defeating her sister-in-law, Purnima Niraj Singh of Congress.
In the 2019 elections, Ragini had lost to Purnima, but this time she avenged her defeat to reclaim the seat.
Shatrughan Mahto retains Baghmara seat
BJP candidate Shatrughan Mahto successfully defended the Baghmara seat, previously held by his younger brother Dhulu Mahto. Shatrughan defeated Congress candidate Jaleshwar Mahto by a significant margin.
In 2019, Dhullu Mahto had narrowly won this seat by just 824 votes.
JMM’s Mathura Mahto holds Tundi seat
Veteran JMM leader Mathura Prasad Mahto retained the Tundi seat, defeating Puja Kumari of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Morcha. The BJP candidate finished in a distant third position.
CPIML’s victory in Nirsa and Sindri
CPIML leader Arup Chatterjee reclaimed his traditional Nirsa seat after five years, defeating BJP’s Aparna Sengupta. Similarly, Babloo Mahto of CPIML secured the Sindri seat, defeating Tara Devi.
This victory marked a sentimental return for the Mahto family, as Babloo’s father, Anand Mahto, had previously won the Sindri seat four times.
