Overview
- Officials reported that after the first round, JMM’s Somesh Chandra Soren led by 2,164 votes, recording 5,450 to his nearest rival’s 3,286.
- Vote counting began at 8 am at Jamshedpur Cooperative College under tight security, with 20 rounds scheduled on 19 tables, according to East Singhbhum DEO Karn Satyarthi.
- Turnout in the November 11 bypoll was about 74.6 percent, higher than in the 2024 Assembly election for the constituency.
- The seat fell vacant after Education Minister Ramdas Soren’s death in August, and JMM nominated his son Somesh Chandra Soren against BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former chief minister Champai Soren.
- Thirteen candidates are in the fray, though reporting has cast the main rivalry as JMM versus BJP while early returns placed the JLKM contender second.