The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a political party that holds power in Jharkhand, has established a significant presence across the nation. It has challenged national parties, first entering the political arena in the 1980 assembly elections. The JMM secured its regional party status by winning 7 out of 18 seats in the Santhal Pargana region.
In the 1980 assembly elections, leaders like Simon Marandi, Suraj Mandal, Devidhan Besra, Stephen Marandi, David Murmu, Ashaya Charan Lal, and Devan Soren won on JMM tickets. The party maintained its strength by winning 7 seats in the 1985 assembly elections.
For the JMM, the 1990 assembly elections proved to be a turning point, where the party won 8 out of 18 seats in Santhal Pargana. The JMM’s influence extends across all five divisions of Jharkhand, with Santhal and Kolhan being considered strongholds.
In the 2019 elections, the JMM won 9 out of 18 seats in Santhal Pargana, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured only four seats. The Congress party won five seats.
In the Kolhan division of Jharkhand, the BJP was completely wiped out in 2019. The JMM and Congress alliance won 13 out of 14 seats in Kolhan, with one seat going to the independent candidate Saryu Roy.
In the 2024 assembly elections, the JMM, under the leadership of Hemant Soren, created history by winning 34 assembly seats for the first time in Jharkhand. During the 13th Central Convention of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha held in Ranchi on April 14 and 15, Hemant Soren was elected as the central president of the party, while Dishom Guru Shibu Soren became the founding patron of the party.
Although Shibu Soren, the founding patron and former central president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, was not actively involved in the 2024 assembly elections due to health reasons, his influence in Jharkhand politics is such that the mere mention of his name helps candidates achieve resounding victories.
Shibu Soren’s identity is often associated with the Tundi seat. He did not win the 1977 assembly election but received the title of ‘Dishom Guru’. Shibu Soren contested his first assembly election from the Tundi seat. However, he lost to Satyanarayan Dudani of the Janata Party.
In the 70s, Shibu Soren organized the tribals in Tundi under the name of ‘Dhan Katni’ movement and raised the banner of struggle against the moneylenders. After this movement, the tribals adopted Shibu Soren and gave him the title of ‘Dishom Guru’. Dishom Guru means the guru of the country, a Santhali word.
The defeat in 1977 proved to be a major turning point for Shibu Soren and Santhal Pargana. Leaving Tundi, Shibu Soren made Santhal his political center, and his influence on the Santhals was so strong that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won the Dumka seat in the Lok Sabha elections in 1980. In 1980, Shibu Soren defeated Congress leader Prithvichandra Kisku to reach the Lok Sabha for the first time from the Dumka seat.
Although Shibu Soren lost in 1984, he contested the Jama assembly seat in 1985 and won the election to reach the Bihar assembly. In the 1989 assembly elections, he contested from the Dumka seat again and won the election to reach the Lok Sabha again. After this, Shibu Soren won from Dumka in 2004, 2009, and 2014, reaching the Lok Sabha. Currently, Shibu Soren is a Rajya Sabha MP.
It is also said that the power of Jharkhand comes through Santhal Pargana and Kolhan, which is why central leaders are currently holding rallies in Santhal Pargana and Kolhan in Jharkhand. Among the Santhals, Dishom Guru Shibu Soren is recognized as a god on earth, which is perhaps why people express faith in Shibu Soren and his family, voting in large numbers to ensure their victory in elections.
