The Election Commission is expected to announce by 4.30pm on Friday the schedule for the Jharkhand Assembly election. It had been speculated that the Assembly polls in Jharkhand would be held alongside the recently concluded elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. The delay was believed to be attributed to the need for greater deployment of security forces in Jharkhand given the heavy Maoist activity in the state.
In 2014, the Assembly election in Jharkhand was held in five phases in November and December, with the results announced in late December. The BJP came to power in those elections, securing a total of 35 seats in the 81-member Assembly. The BJP was supported by the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), which had won eight seats. Raghubar Das was made chief minister, becoming the first non-tribal leader of Jharkhand.
Of the 81 seats, 44 are general category constituencies, nine are reserved for scheduled castes and 28 for scheduled tribes
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The BJP will hope for an encore of the Lok Sabha results, when it won 12 of the 14 seats in Jharkhand in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union. The alliance of the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won just two seats.
The Congress and JMM have been in talks for an alliance in Jharkhand for the Assembly polls. Media reports claim the Congress would be the 'junior partner' in the alliance, contesting between 25-30 seats. There is also speculation the JVM of former BJP chief minister Babulal Marandi may join the opposition front.
