With the unshaved beard grown during the days in prison at Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi, Jharkhand's Chief Minister Hemant Soren seems to have assumed the halo of a political martyr, the effect of which is visible in the assembly poll results. 

In fact, Soren’s beard acted as a 'lethal' weapon against the BJP in the campaign. All those adivasis and mulwasis( local inhabitants) saw him as a “victim” and son of Dishum Guru Shibu Soren who had fought against money lenders and led the movement for a separate state. 

Throughout his past, from his days as a student to chief ministership of the state for the three terms, Hemant Soren has only sported a mustache which had become a trademark look on his face. 

However, Hemant's world changed on January 31, 2024. On this date, the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on charges of money - laundering connected with the alleged land scam. 

After taking him into custody for interrogations, he was sent to jail. During almost five months of jail, Hemant is believed not to have shaved. 

As a result, his usual look with a mustache graduated to sporting also the greying beard- often taken in many circles as a sign of respectability, maturity and even masculinity- all making him become victorious in the battle of ballots 2024.

Indeed, for him it also worked to portray the image of a sufferer due to the political victimhood. After all, in politics very often perception matters ahead of arguable logic. 

Incidentally, his father Shibu Soren, founder of the JMM and Rajya Sabha Member, had always kept a flowing beard throughout his life. Historically, the beard has meant a great deal to many politicians. 

Jharkhand has broken its 24-year jinx of never returning an incumbent government to power. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led INDIA bloc’s sweeping victory, securing a two-thirds majority despite the BJP’s highly polarising campaign, is inarguably an outcome of a strong social coalition powered by an array of welfare schemes masterminded by bearded Hemant Soren. 

The scale of victory is also impressive: while the INDIA partners the JMM, the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(M-L)] delivered strong performances across the board, only the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp managed to stay afloat, emerging as the second-largest party while its allies.Its two allies All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], failed to make an impact.  

The JMM led by Hemant Soren’s strike rate is spectacular at nearly 75 per cent compared with the BJP.

Apart from copying his father Shibu Soren style beard, four main factors seem to have motivated voters to cast their right to franchise in favour of the JMM’s election symbol - Bow and Arrow. 

One, ‘secular’ approach of the INDIA block. It was led by Hemant Soren who minutely planned and formed a deadly combination of Adivasi, Christian -Adivasi and Muslim( ACM) community. They constitute more than 50 percent of electorates in Jharkhand.Their members turned up at polling booths in large number and voted for the JMM. 

Two,repairing,building of rural roads and introduction of new buses, each linking panchayat villages with block headquarters in Jharkhand.This provided transportation service to villagers like never before. 

Three,Kalpana Soren appears to have ignited the voters by her charismatic gesture and emotive speeches as mother of two sons and wife of a ‘victim’ - Hemant Soren who was “ jailed “ for “ no fault” of his, she pleaded with tears rolling down her face. Also, she gained loud cheers addressing Muslim audience by greeting them saying Arabic term  “Salaam Walaekum”.

Kalpana Soren had cited the High Court and Supreme Court’s judgement explaining there was no “ prima facie” evidence to arrest him in corruption case. 

Four, women voters outnumbered men in 32 Assembly constituencies, with female turnout exceeding male turnout in more than 80 per cent of seats this time. 

No wonder why the caste-neutral women voters were the decisive factor in this outcome. While the revision of the electoral rolls adding more voters explained the increase partially, a bigger one seems to have been the Hemant Soren government’s success in wooing women with its Maiyya Samman Yojana, which provides Rs 1,000 per month to women aged 21-49. 

The JMM is on record saying that the scheme was conceptualised by CM Hemant while in jail over money laundering allegations. In the run-up to the elections, Hemant led party made the face of the Yojana, who held meetings across the state to spread its message. 

While the saffron party as the lead party in the NDA contested 68 of 81 seats, the JMM in the INDIA bloc led by Hemant contested only 43 seats. Another major reason for JMM led INDIA block hitting the NDA led by BJP hard appears to have played a master card of “ Vote Katwa( Vote splitter). 

This is reflected by NDA partner, Sudesh Mahato-led AJSU’s poor show due solely to the rise of the new entrant in Jharkhand politics, Jairam Mahato.  
Jairam Mahato who has come out openly supporting JMM led by Soren,who has won the Dumri Assembly seat. 

Both Sudesh and Jairam come from the same Kurmi-Mahato community, which is the second-largest voting bloc after tribal people in the State. Jairam’s Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha seems to have damaged the NDA’s prospects in at least 16 seats( See the table and count the number of votes gained by its candidates). 

The Kurmi- Mahatos, accounting for nearly 14 per cent of votes, are key to victory in over 30 of the 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand, particularly in the districts of Ranchi, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, and Giridih. 

This election marks the JMM led by Hemant Soren’s consistent rise in Jharkhand. It won 18 seats in 2009, 19 in 2014, 30 in the 2019 State election, and now 33 Assembly seats. 

However, now when Hemant Soren become the first leader in Jharkhand to take oath as Chief Minister for the fourth time on November 28, he has umpteen challenges to confront. 

Apart from keeping the economy of the state government in order, he has to meet high aspirations of people and implement welfare schemes promised by the JMM led INDIA block to electorates. 

These poll promises include: 

1. Continuity of Maiya yojna by increasing its monthly amount from Rs 1000 to Rs 2,500 per month.

2. Electricity up to 200-unit free quota  

3. Make available domestic LPG cylinders to households to all families owning ration cards at Rs 450 

4. Hike the minimum support price of paddy to Rs 3,200 per quintal and of other crops by 50% of their existing rate 

5. Improve mobility by commissioning two flyover projects in the state capital 

6. Hike the reservation of OBCs, SCs and STs as per their electoral promise and generate 10 lakh jobs in the next five years  

7. Contain corruption in bureaucracy and maintain law and order 

8. Build infrastructure to promote tourism and invite investment to block migration of labour from Jharkhand to Metros.