Legacy Battle in Jharkhand's Ghatshila: Ex-CM Champai Soren Son Take On Late MLA's Heir

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high-stakes by-election in Jharkhand’s Ghatshila constituency on Tuesday has turned into a battle of political legacies, with Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren, facing off against Somesh Chandra Soren, son of the late JMM MLA Ramdas Soren.

Polling Begins For Ghatshila Assembly By-Election

Polling for the by-election to the Ghatshila assembly seat in Jharkhand began at 7 am on Tuesday, amid tight security arrangements. The voting will continue till 5 pm, according to the Election Commission. Over 2.56 lakh voters, including 1.31 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the by-election and will decide the electoral fate of 13 candidates.

Soren vs Soren in Ghatshila

The main contest is likely to be between Somesh Chandra Soren of the ruling JMM and the BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren. Somesh Chandra is the son of JMM MLA Ramdas Soren, whose death necessitated the bypoll.In the 2024 assembly election, Babulal Soren lost to JMM's Ramdas Soren by over 22,000 votes. Soren died while undergoing treatment for a brain haemorrhage at a hospital in Delhi on August 15, necessitating the bypoll scheduled on November 11.The contest has drawn wide attention as both families carry significant political weight in the region, setting up a showdown between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Brisk Voting in Bihar

Voting is underway for 122 constituencies in Bihar in the second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly polls amid tight security arrangements. The polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.In this phase, the electoral fate of 1,302 candidates, including several ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, will be sealed.A total of 14.55 per cent of the 3.7 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in the second phase of assembly elections in Bihar on Tuesday.

By-Election Underway in 8 Seats

The voting for by-elections to 8 Assembly constituencies across 6 States and 1 Union Territory began at 7 am on Tuesday, November 11. Places Where By-Election is Being Held Today;

• Budgam and Nagrota in J&K,
• Anta in Rajasthan,
• Ghatsila in Jharkhand,
• Jubilee Hills in Telangana,
• Tarn Taran in Punjab,
• Dampa in Mizoram,
• Nuapada in Odisha