Race Heats Up in Ghatsila Bypolls After EC Rejects Three Nominations

The Election Commission has rejected the nominations of three candidates for the Ghatsila bypolls in Jharkhand, as confirmed by an official on Wednesday. This decision comes ahead of the upcoming elections to be held on November 11, with the vote counting scheduled for November 14.

The scrutiny process saw the disqualification of Malti Tudu, Dukhiram Mardi, and Mangal Murmu, effectively reducing the number of candidates in the fray to 14, ahead of Thursday's withdrawal deadline. This by-election follows the death of the sitting MLA, Ramdas Soren, who was also the state's Education Minister.

The contest is set to be a three-way race among the BJP-led NDA's Babulal Soren, JMM’s Somesh Chandra Soren, and Ramdas Murmu of the JLKM. Meanwhile, Ramdas Murmu has been issued a show-cause notice by the East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner for code of conduct violation, potentially influencing this closely watched political battle.