Arjun Munda Trails in Khunti: A Major Upset in Jharkhand Politics

Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda trails by 41,377 votes in Khunti's prestigious ST seat against Congress' Kalicharan Munda. A three-time chief minister, Munda had won the same seat by a slim margin in 2019.

Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda is facing a significant setback in Jharkhand's prestigious Khunti (ST) seat, trailing by approximately 41,377 votes to his nearest Congress rival, Kalicharan Munda, according to the Election Commission.

Arjun Munda, who has previously served as chief minister three times, had narrowly defeated Kalicharan Munda by 1,445 votes in the 2019 elections. The 56-year-old tribal leader also secured a Lok Sabha seat from Jamshedpur in a by-election and held the position of BJP’s national general secretary.

Munda first rose to political prominence in March 2003 when he succeeded Babulal Marandi as chief minister, following a revolt by JDU and Samata Party MLAs against Marandi’s administration style.