Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance which is ahead in the close race in Jharkhand during the counting of votes taken up this morning is all set to form the Government in Jharkhand. The elections were conducted in 81 Assembly seats of the State in five phases from Nov. 30 to Dec. 20. 

Celebrations have started in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress camp as the alliance took lead over the ruling BJP (42 to 28) during the counting of votes. 41 is the majority mark in the 81-seat House. 

Chief Minister Raghubar Das said it was “too early” to comment on the trends. For the BJP, the results will be crucial. The BJP lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to Congress last year. This year, after its huge victory in the Lok Sabha election, Maharashtra slipped out of its grasp as it fell out with ally Shiv Sena over power sharing.

Speaking to reporters, Das has expressed confidence that the BJP will form the government again. The Congress-JMM alliance, meanwhile, says it should be invited first by Governor Draupadi Murmu over the BJP. The Congress is also in touch with Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), which, along with AJSU, was eyeing the kingmaker role in the 81-seat Assembly.

The battle for the Jharkhand Chief Minister seat is mainly between incumbent Raghubar Das, who is leading from Jamshedpur East, and JMM leader Hemant Soren, the son of Shibu Soren, who is leading from Barhait, but trailing from Dumka, when we went to the press.