The seat, which has been a BJP bastion since 1990, saw a significant shift in 2019 when former Chief Minister Raghubar Das was defeated by independent candidate Saryu Roy.
This election, hence, is a crucial one for the Saffron party as it fields Purnima Sahu, the daughter-in-law of Das, in an attempt to reclaim the seat that has been synonymous with the Das family for over three decades.
Purnima Sahu: BJP’s hopeful for Jamshedpur East
Purnima Sahu, a 30-year-old debutant in the political arena, had a monumental task in the run upto the assembly elections in Maharashtra. After all, despite the BJP’s strong historical record in the region, the party’s hold on Jamshedpur East was broken five years ago.
Now, with the BJP hoping to restore its legacy in the constituency, all eyes are on Sahu to see whether she can uphold the influence that her father-in-law once commanded.
Sahu’s efforts have focused on engaging with the local community, including meeting morning walkers in nearby parks to discuss her vision for the constituency, during her election campaigning. Her campaign highlighted the work done by her father-in-law, Raghubar Das, during his tenure as Chief Minister, promising to continue the pro-people development initiatives he started.While the BJP pinned its hopes on Sahu, her candidacy sparked internal dissent within the party. Shiv Shankar Singh, a prominent BJP leader, has filed his nomination as an independent.
The Congress fielded former Jamshedpur MP Ajoy Kumar as its candidate for Jamshedpur East.
Why Jamshedpur East matters for BJP
The BJP is banking on the strong support of Jamshedpur’s sizable business community to help tip the scales in its favor.
With a focus on development, especially in sectors like women’s welfare, health, and education, Sahu pledged to work towards improving the lives of her constituents, echoing her father-in-law’s earlier promises.
Despite her inexperience in electoral politics, Sahu sounded confident that her work and vision will prove her critics wrong.
“Opposition claims that I will be a proxy MLA, but I am a woman with vision and commitment. I will carve my own identity. I am not going to be a remote-controlled MLA. My control will be in the hands of the people,” she told ToI in an interview earlier in November.
Raghubar Das, who served as the MLA from this constituency five times, is currently serving as the Governor of Odisha.
His tenure in Jamshedpur East saw his staunch influence over the region, and now his family hopes to continue that legacy through Sahu.
However, the question remains whether the people of Jamshedpur East will embrace a new era of leadership under the Das family or turn to other options.
With election results due Saturday, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both Purnima Sahu and the BJP.
