Election Results: As Jharkhand Delivers Clear Winner, The 2 Kingmakers Who Weren't

The BJP and the AJSU took power together after the previous Jharkhand election in 2014.

The ruling BJP lost another major state this year as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress alliance scooped up Jharkhand on Monday.

When a close battle marked the earlier rounds of counting in the morning, the BJP reportedly dialed former ally Sudesh Mahto of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM).

But soon, Sudesh Mahta and Babulal Marandi, realized that they had gone from kingmakers to side stories.

The JMM-led alliance was leading in 47 of 81 seats and the BJP in 25 seats when JMM's Hemant Soren, projected as the new Chief Minister, was giving interviews to TV channels. 

Babulal Marandi reportedly also received feelers from old ally Congress. But the opposition alliance ended up not needing his help after all. "The result is not what I expected. I will accept the mandate of the people. My role will be that what is decided by the people. I am with the people and not NDA or UPA," Mr Marandi told reporters.

Reports also suggest that the BJP called a close aide of Mr Marandi, a former BJP leader who quit the party in 2006.

Mr Marandi did not rule out an alliance with the BJP, which gave hope to the party for a while. The BJP also knew Mr Marandi is uncomfortable with the JMM. But alliance talks would have come to play only if the JMM-Congress had been limited to 35 seats.

The BJP was also confident that if it came to that, the AJSU would give its support. The BJP and the AJSU took power together after the previous Jharkhand election in 2014. But this time, the alliance broke down and the Sudesh Mahto-led party decided to go it alone. 

For both men, the election was critical for their political resurgence in Jharkhand. Both had lost three elections each since 2014. Mr Marandi lost the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2014 assembly election. Mr Mahto also lost in the 2014 national and assembly election and the Silli by-polls last year.