Election
State story

Jharkhand: still BJP country

5 Assembly elections · 20052024 · every seat count and share is read from the official record.

Who held the house

bar width = years in charge · tap one for that election
2005BJP
2019JMM

Bharatiya Janata Party has led 3 of 5 elections; power changed hands 1 time.

Seats over time

the leading parties
BJPpeak 37 · 2014
3720052024
JMMpeak 34 · 2024
3420052024
INCpeak 16 · 2019
1620052024
JVMpeak 11 · 2009
1120052024

Jharkhand has voted in 5 Assembly elections between 2005 and 2024. Bharatiya Janata Party has been the largest party in 3 of them — more than any rival.

Power has changed hands 1 time. The steadiest run was Bharatiya Janata Party's — the top party from 2005 to 2014 across 3 elections.

In 2019, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha broke through — 30 of 81 seats — ending Bharatiya Janata Party's hold, which fell from 37 to 25.

The sharpest single swing was 2014: Bharatiya Janata Party went from 18 to 37 seats, a gain of 19.

The closest verdict was 2009: Bharatiya Janata Party finished just 0 seats ahead of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

Most recently, in 2024, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha holds 34 of 81 seats on 23.5% of the vote — short of the 41-seat majority.

Pivotal elections

who held the house, seat by seat
First on record · 2005open →
30BJP
  • BJP3037%
  • JMM1721%
  • INC911%
  • RJD79%
  • Others1822%

Bharatiya Janata Party · 23.6% of the vote · short of majority

The wave · 2014open →
37BJP
  • BJP3746%
  • JMM1923%
  • JVM810%
  • INC67%
  • Others1114%

Bharatiya Janata Party · 31.3% of the vote · short of majority

Most recent · 2024open →
34JMM
  • JMM3442%
  • BJP2126%
  • INC1620%
  • RJD45%
  • Others67%

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha · 23.5% of the vote · short of majority

The turn of 2014

2014 seats minus 2009
seats lostseats gained
BJP
18 → 37
+19
JMM
18 → 19
+1
JVM
11 → 8
−3
INC
14 → 6
−8
AJSUP
5 → 5
0
BSP
0 → 1
+1
CPIMLL
1 → 1
0
JKP
1 → 1
0

Every time power changed hands

  1. 2019JMM took the house with 30 of 81, ending BJP’s run (3725).

Party identity

renames, splits and mergers along the way
  • Bharatiya Janata Party broke away from Janata Party in 1980.
  • Indian National Congress saw All India Trinamool Congress break away in 1998; saw Nationalist Congress Party break away in 1999; saw YSR Congress Party break away in 2011; saw NCO break away in 1969; saw INCU break away in 1979; saw ICS break away in 1978; saw BAC break away in 1966; saw UTC break away in 1969; saw HVP break away in 1996; saw AINRC break away in 2011; took in MSCP in 2014; took in ICS in 1986; took in NNO in 1976; took in HVP in 2004; took in VHP in 1978.