It’s simple and clear. 

A new Kurmi Mahto OBC community’s Tiger has emerged in Jharkhand. The poll result indicates that Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) chief Jairam Mahto a.k.a.‘Tiger’ is the strong and fresh OBC Kurmi Mahto face in the state. 

True, the JLKM has won only one of the 71 of the 82 seats it contested in the state but impacted the poll outcome in at least 14 seats, largely benefitting the INDIA bloc led by JMM.
 
The BJP has dubbed him as “ Bhot Katwa( Vote Cutter). Soon after his victory Kurmi Mahto community’s Tiger announced support to JMM. 

This facilitated the exchange of chats on social media, many showcasing this new tiger as a “pawn” of the JMM.In any case, Jairam Mahto is a political hero of the battle of ballots.

Incidentally, JMM’s own Tiger of Kolhan Champai Soren who was basking in his hometown winning the Sarsikela Assembly seat for the first time as BJP’s candidate is yet to speak on this new ‘Tiger’.

Alongside, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Party, claiming to be representative of the Kurmi Mahto OBC community, won only one seat by a thin margin of 231 votes out of 10 constituencies it contested in alliance with the BJP. 

The biggest shocker for the AJSU was the defeat of party chief Sudesh Mahto from his constituency Silli. The contrast in the confidence of the leaders as evident from the statements made by Jairam and Sudesh after the poll results ere announced. 

“Sapne dekhne chahiye, yu- vaon ko sapne bade dekhne chahiye... Vidhayak banne se mere saath-saath yuvaon ke raaste bhi khul gaye hain (People should dream, the youth should dream big... After my election as an MLA, the roads have opened for the youths too)”, said 29- year-old Jairam, ho on from Dumri constituency defeating JMM’s Baby Devi. 

Addressing the media, JLKM chief Jairam Mahto (left) and Sudesh Mahto Sudesh said, “We respect the mandate given by the people and congratulate Hemant Soren- ji. We ill review this election result within our party and NDA.” ‘Jharkhand ka ladka’, as Jairam is popularly referred to, polled 94,496 votes, defeating Baby Devi by a margin of 10, 945 votes. 

AJSU Party’s Yashoda Devi came a distant third with 35,890 votes. The Dumri seat was once a stronghold of JMM and its leader Jagarnath Mahato, who did not lose a single election from the constituency since the formation of Jharkhand. 

After Jagarnath’s death due to Covid-related complications, the seat as held by his life Baby Devi, who won it in the 2023 by-election. The Kurmi Mahto population, along with youths across different OBC castes seem to have rallied behind Jairam in Dumri. 

The Kurmi Mahto community makes up for 15% of the electorate in Jharkhand, their population in the state stands at 8.6%. “Given the estimated population of around 4 crore in Jharkhand, even at 8.6%, Kudmi Mahatos would make for 34 lakh population in the state, and 20 lakh of them could be eligible to vote. 

Hence, Kurmi Mahto votes can impact elections and Jairam Mahato has rekindled a fire in many constituencies,” an expert said. In the Silli Assembly constituency, Sudesh lost to JMM’s Amit Mahato by a margin of 23,867 votes. 

Sudesh’s defeat and Amit’s win is also linked to the performance of the JLKM in the constituency, where its candidate Devendra Nath Mahato polled 41,725 votes. The JLKM fielded 71 candidates in the Assembly elections, With Jairam contesting from two seats — Dumri and Bermo. While the Dumri contest cost the JMM, the Bermo fight benefited JMM’s ally Congress. 

Jairam polled 60, 871 votes in Bermo, losing to Kumar Jaimangal of the Congress by a margin of 29,375 votes, while BJP’s Ravinder Pandey came a distant third, polling 58,352 votes. Like Bermo, JLKM cut votes in several constituencies, largely benefitting the INDIA bloc. 

In at least 13 seats — Silli, Bokaro, Gomia, Giridih, Tundi, Ichagarh, Tamar, Chakradharpur, Chandankyari, Kanke, Chatarpur, Sindri and Kharsaan — the votes polled by the JLKM are more than the winning margin.