Prestige Battle at Ghatshila: JMM vs BJP

In the Ghatshila by-election, JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren leads by 7,541 votes against BJP's Babulal Soren. The voting took place amid tight security, with over 74% turnout. This election is considered a prestige battle, but it won't affect the current Jharkhand government significantly.

JMM candidate Somesh Chandra Soren is currently leading the Ghatshila by-election by a margin of 7,541 votes over his nearest competitor, Babulal Soren of the BJP. According to officials, this has been a closely watched battle in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district.

With 16,110 votes in the third round of counting, Somesh Chandra Soren continues to hold a significant lead over the BJP, which has garnered 8,569 votes. The JLKM candidate, Ramdas Murmu, stands in third place with 5,278 votes, as vote counting persists under stringent security. The process began early Friday at the Jamshedpur Cooperative College.

The by-election is more about prestige than political realignment, as the current JMM-led government in Jharkhand already holds a solid majority in the state assembly. Yet the contest between the JMM and BJP continues to draw attention. The voting round had a high turnout of 74.63% on November 11.

(With inputs from agencies.)