The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Jharkhand): Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda lost the Khunti Lok Sabha seat to Congress’s Kalicharan Munda by a substantial margin of 1.49 lakh votes, according to officials. Arjun Munda, a veteran politician and three-time chief minister, had previously defeated Kalicharan Munda by 1,445 votes in 2019.
Arjun Munda graciously congratulated Kalicharan Munda on his victory and acknowledged that the people have given a mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form the government for the third time. Kalicharan Munda attributed his success to the hard work of party workers, the support of INDIA bloc partners, and the voters in his constituency.
Kalicharan Munda stated, “People of Khunti have given a befitting reply to NDA. A big responsibility is now on my shoulder. I will make every effort to live up to the expectations of people here.”
Arjun Munda, a prominent 56-year-old tribal leader, has had a long and distinguished political career. He previously won a by-election for the Lok Sabha seat from Jamshedpur and served as the BJP’s national general secretary. Arjun Munda first became chief minister in March 2003, replacing Babulal Marandi after a revolt by JDU and Samata Party MLAs. He was the tribal affairs minister in Marandi’s first NDA government.
Arjun Munda began his political journey with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) during the statehood struggle before joining the BJP. He was first elected as an MLA in 1995 in undivided Bihar and secured three consecutive terms from Kharsawan before losing the seat in 2014.
This significant defeat in Khunti marks a notable shift in Jharkhand’s political landscape and underscores the evolving dynamics within the state’s electorate.