The BJP brought in a veritable galaxy of its national leaders — from Prime Minister Modi to his cabinet ministers — to campaign in Jharkhand, almost all hammering home their party’s achievements such as Article 370, Ayodhya, the CAA and NRC. The Congress, on the other hand, had a late start and two national leaders in Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Voters, however, had made up their minds.
Narendra Modi
Rallies: Dumka, Barhait, Palamau, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad.
Result: JMM’s Hemant Soren won Dumka and Barhait; Modi’s campaign had better luck in Palamau’s five Assembly seats with BJP winning four, leaving only Hussainabad for the Congress; in Jamshedpur, the BJP had no luck with rebel Saryu Roy and the Opposition alliance grabbing all six Assembly seats; the BJP managed to hold on to Dhanbad, but had to concede neighbouring Jharia to the Congress.
Amit Shah
Rallies: Pakur, Poreyahat, Manika, Lohardaga, Chatra, Garhwa, Chakradharpur, Baharagora, Deoghar, Giridih, Baghmara.
Result: In Pakur, Alam won despite Shah’s Mir Jafar comment, JVM’s Pradeep Yadav retained Poreyahat, Congress won in Manika and Lohardaga, state Congress chief Rameshwar trouncing defector Sukhdeo Bhagat in the latter; the JMM won Garhwa, Chakradharpur, Baharagora and Giridih; the lotus bloomed only in Deoghar.
Rahul Gandhi with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on April 27, 2019. (PTI)
Rahul Gandhi
Rallies: Ranchi, Mahagama (Godda), Simdega.
Result: CP Singh held on to Ranchi despite a tough contest from JMM’s Mahua Maji; Congress’s Deepika Pandey Singh won in Mahagama; Congress’s Bhushan Bara scraped through with a wafer-thin margin of 285.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Rally: Barharwa, Pakur.
Result: Congress’s Alamgir Alam retained the seat for the Congress, defeating the BJP’s Veni Prasad Gupta by a 60,000-plus margin.