Jharkhand election results: BJP faces tough challenge from JMM-Cong combine

Going by the exit polls, emulating the success it got in the 2014 elections, could be an uphill task for the BJP.

Fate of incumbent Chief Minister Raghubar Das will be decided on Monday as the results of the Jharkhand Assembly election Results are expected to be declared in the state, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a stiff electoral challenge from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance.

Going by the exit polls, emulating the success it got in the 2014 elections, could be an uphill task for the BJP.

The state went to polls for 81 Assembly seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20. The counting of votes will start at 8 am today in all 24 district headquarters amid tight security.

Jharkhand is the third-BJP ruled state which has gone to polls this year. This election is crucial for BJP as it has already lost power in Maharashtra, and in Haryana, it managed to secure its government after entering into a post-poll alliance with Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party.

BJP, JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha - Prajatantrik (JVM-P) are the main political parties in the fray.

Raghubar Das took oath as Chief Minister in 2014 after the BJP won 37 seats and stitched an alliance with AJSU, which had won 5 seats. However, AJSU broke ties with BJP and is contesting the current elections solo.

Under the leadership of JMM chief Hemant Soren, Congress and RJD have come together to oust BJP from power. While the JMM has fielded candidates in 43 seats, the Congress and the RJD are fighting for 31 and seven seats, respectively.

The ruling party has fielded its candidates in 79 out of the 81 seats. BJP has not fielded any candidate against All Jharkhand Students' Union's (AJSU's) Sudesh Mahto, and is supporting a candidate in the remaining one constituency.

Raghubar Das is contesting the polls from Jamshedpur East against his ex-cabinet colleague Saryu Rai (who is fighting as an independent) and Congress candidate Gourav Vallabh.

Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren is in the fray from two seats -- Dumka and Barhet. BJP has pitted Women and Child Development Minister Louis Marandi in Dumka against Soren.