JMM-Congress Unseats BJP In Jharkhand

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance had a decisive victory in Jharkhand as votes were counted today, leaving the BJP with another big state loss this year. The BJP conceded defeat, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting his "best wishes" to the JMM-led alliance. The JMM has won 30 seats and the Congress 15. The alliance is ahead in 12 other seats while the BJP is trailing with 25. "The party respects the mandate of the people of Jharkhand," BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah said. Hemant Soren, as the face of the opposition alliance, is set to take over the top post for the second time. Jharkhand is the fifth state the BJP has lost within a year. Last year, the party lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the Congress. This year, after its victory in the Lok Sabha election, Maharashtra slipped out of its grasp.