Four Ministers in Hemant Soren's Cabinet Defeated Despite INDIA Alliance's Landslide in Jharkhand

Four key ministers in Hemant Soren’s cabinet suffered defeats despite the JMM-led coalition’s decisive victory in the Jharkhand assembly elections. Securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, the coalition retained power for a second consecutive term.

Key Ministers Defeated Despite JMM Alliance Victory

However, the losses of Health Minister Banna Gupta, Water Resources Minister Mithilesh Thakur, Education Minister Baidyanath Ram, and Social Welfare Minister Bebi Devi overshadowed the triumph. These ministers, who played crucial roles in the government’s policies, were defeated by narrow and significant margins, reflecting mixed voter sentiment. While the coalition celebrated its win, these setbacks highlighted challenges within its leadership.

 Ministers Who Lost

1. Banna Gupta (Health Minister): A Congress leader and a controversial man, Gupta lost to JD(U)'s Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur West by 7,863 votes. He had some controversial incidents during his tenure that might have caused his defeat.

2. Mithilesh Thakur (Water Resources Minister): From the JMM, Thakur lost to BJP's Satyendra Nath Tiwari in Garhwa by 16,753 votes.

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3. Baidyanath Ram (Education Minister): Contesting from Latehar, Ram lost to BJP's Prakash Ram with a narrow margin of just 434 votes, which proved to be one of the closest contests in the election.

4. Bebi Devi (Social Welfare Minister): Devi, who was inducted into the cabinet following the death of her husband, Jagarnath Mahto, in 2023, lost the Dumri seat to JLKM’s Jairam Kumar Mahato by 10,945 votes. Devi’s Social Welfare Department was instrumental in implementing the Maiyan Samman Yojna, which provided financial assistance to women and played a key role in the coalition’s victory.

JMM-Led Alliance Triumphs

Buoyed by the popularity of schemes like the Maiyan Samman Yojna, the JMM-led alliance went to the polls confident of securing a comfortable majority. Overall, the program has benefited around 57 lakh women, with the promise to hike the financial assistance to ₹2,500 per month proving very promising to voters.

Despite these losses, the victory all-round of the coalition indicates massive public support for its governance and policies, thus drawing a virtuous circle of leadership for Hemant Soren.