The first phase of elections in Jharkhand is underway, with 43 of the state’s 81 assembly seats in contention. By-elections are also being held in various other locations across India, with a notable one in Wayanad, Kerala, marking a key test for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

As of 9 a.m., voter turnout in Jharkhand’s participating constituencies was recorded at 13 percent. Across the country, by-elections are taking place on 31 assembly seats spanning ten states and one Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. Among these assembly seats, four are reserved for Scheduled Castes and six for Scheduled Tribes. Rajasthan has seven seats in the fray, followed by West Bengal with six, Assam with five, Bihar with four, Kerala with three, and Madhya Pradesh with two. Additionally, one seat each is being contested in Meghalaya, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka. In Sikkim, two candidates from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha had already won unopposed as of October 30.

In Jharkhand, the ruling coalition led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has fielded 23 candidates, with its allies Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) backing 17 and five candidates, respectively. In opposition, the BJP has put forward 36 candidates, while the Janata Dal United (JDU) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are contesting with two and seven candidates, respectively. Key candidates in this phase include former Chief Ministers Champai Soren and Arjun Munda’s family members, as well as the spouses of Madhu Koda and Raghuvar Das.

The JMM-led coalition is seeking a second term, banking on its welfare initiatives like the Maiyan Samman Yojana. Meanwhile, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has highlighted issues such as infiltration and corruption, calling attention to the arrest of Chief Minister Hemant Soren over corruption allegations. The NDA has promised measures including the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a monthly allowance of ₹2,100 for women, and the creation of 5 lakh jobs for the youth.

The NDA’s campaign featured rallies by top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, and the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Assam, Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In the 2019 elections, the JMM won 30 seats while the BJP secured 25 seats, a drop from its previous 37-seat win in 2014. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance achieved a majority with 47 seats. The second phase of the Jharkhand elections is scheduled for November 20, with the vote counting set for November 23.