JLKM and its Jairam Mahato, representing OBC Kurmi community, walked away with a sizeable chunk of traditional NDA voters, disrupting the alliance’s bid to return to office in the tribal-dominated state.
The three-way division proved beneficial for JMM and its partners in 13 seats, where JLKM’s vote count exceeded winning margins. Even as BJP has made inroads among OBC voters in several states, it remains a challenge for the party in Jharkhand, where Kurmis are the biggest OBC constituent.Winning over the community was outsourced to AJSU’s Sudesh Mahto, who lost from Silli on Ranchi’s outskirts, signalling his waning popularity.
While JLKM secured victory in only one out of the 71 seats it contested, its impact was felt across several constituencies, influencing the election outcome in favour of INDIA bloc parties. Jairam Mahato, popularly known as ‘Tiger’, polled 94,496 votes in Dumri, significantly outdistancing AJSU’s Yashoda Devi, who received 35,890 votes.