While the BJP was victorious in terms of the seats won in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand, its vote share was less than in 2004. The Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, separately or together, however, seem incapable of winning the state and the entry of Babulal Marandi's Jan Vikash Morcha has further fragmented the political scene. With a Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies survey revealing that respondents find the BJP best placed to handle the state's issues but rate Marandi, who has split from the BJP, as the best choice for the chief minister, the forthcoming assembly elections promise to be interesting.
