Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Padma Shri Winner Kalipada Soren Won In Jhargram With 1.19 Lakh Voting Margin

The TMC jewel Kalipada Soren remained ahead of the BJP opponent in the Jhargram constituency. The TMC reported a victory margin of 1,74,048 votes against Dr Pranat Tudu.

Kalipada Soren is Jhargram’s well-known poet of the Santali language. This past year, Kalipada Soren, also known as Kherwal Soren, received the Padma Shri Award in recognition of his literary and educational services. One of the 22 scheduled languages of India, Santali is also the official language of West Bengal. Soren has received multiple awards for his efforts in translating literature into Santali, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award and the Bangavibhushan Award from the state government.

The constituency has been a CPI stronghold from 1977 till 2014. Election victories went to a TMC candidate in 2014 and a BJP candidate in 2019. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP saw a notable increase in its vote share of 34.83 percent, while the TMC saw a decline in its vote share of almost 10 percent. Notably, in 2019, BJP candidate Kumar Hembram won with 44.56% votes While the TMC representative Birbaha Soren secured an overall 43.72% votes.

In the 2014, general elections Uma Saren of Trinamool Congress secured the Jhargram parliamentary seat with 54.60 percent votes. The CPI (M) candidate Pulin Bihari Baske could reach only 26.50% votes. Whereas the BJP candidate Bikash Mudi secured only 9.74% votes.

By fielding Kalipada Soren, TMC wants to secure its lost vote bank through his popularity in the region.