Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi (left) and Chief Minister Hemant Soren (right). (Photos: X/@yourBabulal and @HemantSorenJMM) 5 min read Ranchi May 6, 2026 12:58 PM IST First published on: May 6, 2026 at 12:41 PM IST After the BJP’s win in West Bengal on Monday, the saffron footprint extends across the East, barring a small patch – Jharkhand. But while elections to this state, one of the handful now left in the Opposition kitty, are due only in 2029, the Jharkhand BJP has a new spring in its steps – emboldened by results in neighbouring Bihar and West Bengal, and organisational changes. The BJP was the first party to form the government when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000. In the 2024 Assembly elections, while the BJP lost power to the JMM and allies , including the Congress and RJD, it was the single-largest party by far in vote share, at about 33%. The JMM and Congress together got around 39% of the votes.…