For senior BJP leader and Union Minister Arjun Munda, the impending Lok Sabha elections have become a matter of his political life and death. He is contesting for the second time from Khunti Lok Sabha seat of Jharkhand. With BJP making Arjun Munda its candidate from Khunti for the second time, this seat has become the hottest seat in Jharkhand. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Arjun Munda faced a tough fight from Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda won the election by a margin of just 1,445 votes. Once again, he is contesting against Kalicharan Munda of Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Arjun Munda, currently the Union Minister of Agriculture and Tribal Affairs, has also been the Chief Minister of Jharkhand three times. Arjun Munda's political reputation will once again be at stake in Khunti.
Arjun Munda may have to face the resentment of Kurmi voters for not including Kudmi/Kurmi in the tribal list in areas like Tamar. On the other hand, the voters of Khunti area will also assess the work of Munda. At the same time, just before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra had filled the Congress workers with energy. Rahul Gandhi also met representatives of local public organizations. In cases like Pathalgadi and Land Bank, he had written a letter to the state government asking them to resolve them. At the same time, party officials and workers are working actively in four assembly constituencies of LS region, Khunti, Torpa, Kolebira and Simdega, regarding Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kharsawan and Tamar played an important role in his victory after he lagged behind in four assembly constituencies of Khunti Lok Sabha constituency, Torpa, Khunti, Simdega and Kolebira. While in Tamar Assembly Arjun Munda took lead by a margin of more than 42 thousand votes, in Kharsawan also he took lead by about 34 thousand votes. This is the reason that despite lagging behind in four assembly seats, Arjun Munda was successful in defeating his nearest rival Kalicharan Munda of Congress.
Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda had got a lead of about 23 thousand votes in Torpa Assembly, 22 thousand votes in Khunti, 5 thousand votes in Simdega and 25 thousand votes in Kolebira. In this way, Kalicharan Munda was ahead by about 75 thousand votes in these four assembly constituencies. But Arjun Munda's lead of 76,500 votes in Kharsawan and Tamar assembly constituencies proved decisive in his victory by 1.5 thousand votes.
Political experts believe that after Daymani Barla joins Congress, the votes of Congress from Torpa, Khunti and Kolebira will increase. The victory and defeat of Arjun Munda also depends on how much the candidates of Jharkhand Party (Enos) are able to divide the Christian votes. Political pundits also say that in the 2019 assembly elections, the alliance lost on two tribal reserved seats in the state due to JMM not giving ticket to Dayamani Barla.
Experts say that Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda from Khunti seat is getting the support of supporters of BJP MLA Neelkanth Singh Munda. These are those supporters who are said to be very close to Neelkanth, but these people are not BJP workers. Getting their support can prove beneficial for Kalicharan.
