NEW DELHI: Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Jairam Mahato has defeated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) Bebi Devi on the Dumri assembly seat by 10,945 votes.
Jairam, who has made a mark as a Kurmi leader, made an impressive show in Lok Sabha elections earlier this year polling nearly 3.5 lakh votes as an Independent in Giridih Lok Sabha seat.
Jairam shot to limelight in the last two years with his campaign for prominence to local Jharkhandi language, under the banner of Jharkhandi Bhasha-Khatiyan Sangharsh Samiti.
The young leader led protests in the state demanding use of only local language and also jobs only for people of Jharkhand in the state. He has considerable following among the youth of the Mahto community.
Jairam launched his political party - Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) - ahead of the assembly elections and has put up candidates on several seats. He himself is contesting from two seats - Dumri and Bermo.
What makes Jairam politically significant is the fact that he hails from the Kudmi or the Mahto community, which comprises 22% of the total state's population.
This is the second largest chunk after the tribals and has traditionally voted on strong caste lines.
Jairam's rise in Jharkhand's political landscape could challenge the dominance of Sudesh Mahto, chief of the All Jharkhand Students Union, who is a junior ally of the BJP and has helped the party consolidate the Mahto vote in favour of NDA.
In the 2019 assembly elections, AJSU and BJP could not come to an agreement over seat sharing and contested separately. Both the parties fared poorly and NDA lost power after its 5-year rule.