Khunti Lok Sabha constituency: BJP's Arjun Munda versus Congress' Kali Charan Munda

Khunti (Jharkhand) [India], May 10 : As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw closer, all eyes are on Khunti, one of the most high-profile constituencies in Jharkhand, and a BJP's stronghold too.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), having established a strong foothold in the state in the past two Lok Sabha elections, has once again nominated Union Minister and incumbent MP, Arjun Munda, to represent the Khunti constituency while the Congress has fielded Kali Charan Munda as its candidate.
Khunti is one of the 14 Lok Sabha seats of Jharkhand and covers a total of five Vidhan Sabha constituencies, Kharsawan, Tamar, Torpa, Khunti, Simdega and Kolebira.
Voting in Khunti is scheduled during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, on May 13.
Historically, from 1962 to 1984, the Khunti Lok Sabha seat saw dominance by the Congress and the Jharkhand Party. However, since 1984, the BJP has emerged as the predominant force in the constituency, winning eight out of 10 elections.
"I prayed that this victory should be that of the public and that there be development for everyone, happiness in everyone's life," the sitting MP of Khunti Arjun Munda said after filing his nomination on April 23.
In the 2019 elections, BJP leader Arjun Munda replaced Karia Munda. Arjun Munda won by defeating the same candidate Kali Charan Munda. BJP candidate Arjun Munda received 382,638 votes, while INC candidate Kalicharan Munda garnered 381,193 votes.
In the 2014 general elections, BJP candidate Karia Munda won the seat by defeating Jharkhand Party candidate Anosh Ekka by 92,248 votes.
Arjun Munda, a renowned tribal leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently serves as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Khunti constituency in Jharkhand and holds the position of Union Cabinet Minister for Tribal Affairs.
Kali Charan Munda, who is the son of one of the most influential tribal leaders from Jharkhand T Muchirai Munda was an MLA from the Tamar constituency twice (1992-2000) and also a respected figure amongst the tribal community in Jharkhand. He was the President of the Ranchi District Rural Congress in undivided Bihar from 1997 to 2007, and then became the General Secretary of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress.
Currently, Kali Charan Munda is the Vice President of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress. The Congress has nominated Kali Charan Munda from the Khunti Lok Sabha constituency for the third consecutive time.
T Muchirai Munda, served as a minister in the Bihar government eight times and was elected as an MLA from Khunti and Tamar three times each, totaling six times between 1967 and 1992. He held various ministerial portfolios in the Bihar government, including Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Welfare, Forest and Tribal Welfare, Cooperative Department, Health, Family Welfare, Tribal Welfare, Housing, Tourism, and Forest and Environment.
Congress believes Kali Charan's influence can play a deciding role in upcoming elections and can also lead them to a victory in this seat after two decades, as even in the 2019 elections, Kali Charan only lost to Arjun Munda by a small margin.
The voting process in Jharkhand will unfold in four phases, from May 13 to June 1.
The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.