The 17th Lok Sabha will have five new faces from Jharkhand, which includes four from NDA and one from Congress. The NDAs’ new candidates who will reache Parliament includes, BJP candidate from Ranchi Sanjay Seth, Sunil Soren who defeated JMM patriarch and party heavy weight Shibu Soren from Dumka, former RJD State president Annapurna Devi, who switched side to BJP just before the election and BJP ally partner AJSU Party candidate Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, a minister in Raghubar Das’ Cabinet.
Geeta Koda the winning candidate from Singhbhum the face saving leader for Congress too will enter Parliament for first time.
Among the new faces, Annapurna Devi won the election with highest margin of 4.55 lakh votes. Annapurna contesting her first Parliament election was pitted against Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) candidate and former chief minister Babulal Marandi. The Koderma seat witnessed triangular contest as CPI(ML) candidate and Dhanwar MLA Raj Kumar Yadav too was in electoral fray.
In Koderma there was speculations that the CPI(ML) candidate Raj Kumar Yadav could cut the Yadavs vote share in the area as the region has sizeable population of Yadavs. But Annapurna riding on Modi magic and due to her vigorous campaigning not only won the election but with record margin of votes.
The new faces also include Sanjay Seth who contested Lok Sabha election for first time. Seth a senior BJP leader and party worker since 1990s was given the ticket for first time replacing then sitting MP Ramtahal Choudhary who had represented the seat for five times. Choudhary was denied ticket due to age factor; however he rebelled against party decision and contested the election as an Independent candidate.
Seth knew that battle of Ranchi was not cakewalk as against him was Congress heavyweight Subodh Kant Sahay. Seth during his campaign focused that vote for him is vote for Modi.
Seth defeated Sahay by the margin of 2.83 lakh. Choudhary who had contested the election as Independent could garner only 29597 votes.
The saffron party’s performance in tribal belt was not as per expectations, but BJP candidate from Dumka Sunil Soren brought solace to Saffron party as he was successful in making a dent in Santhal Pargana--JMM bastion. Sunil contesting election against Dishom Guru for third time was successful in winning the seat by margin of 47, 590 votes.
NDA ally partner AJSU party too was tasted success in Lok Sabha election for first time. Party candidate Chandra Prakash Choudhary won the seat defeating his nearest rival of JMM Jagarnath Mahto by the margin of 2.48 lakh.
Among the new face who reaches Parliament also included Congress candidate Geeta Koda. Koda defeated BJP candidate and party president Laxman Gilua by the margin of 72,000 votes from Singhbhum. For BJP the defeat of their party president is humiliating and shocking as he tasted defeat in Modi wave.
