RANCHI — Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance was all set to retain Jharkhand as it was leading in at least 56 seats in the 81-member state assembly, as per Election Commission data on Saturday afternoon. The performance of the BJP-led NDA, which was confident about its prospects in the state after an aggressive campaign, was poorer than its expectations. It was leading in just 23 seats. The BJP’s poll plank was driving out “infiltrators” from the Santhal Parganas region, but it seemed to have fallen flat in front of the ‘Adivasi’ card played by the JMM, which also sought the people’s sympathy over the arrest of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Also read: BJP-led Mahayuti sweeps Maharashtra, oppn INDIA to bag Jharkhand Also, bickering within the BJP over giving nominations to turncoats seemed to have cost the party. According to the latest EC figures, the JMM was leading in 33 of the 43 seats it contested, the Congress was ahead in 16 of the 30 seats where it fielded candidates, the RJD pulled a surprise and was leading in five of the six seats it fought, while the CPI(ML) Liberation was ahead in two of the four seats it fought. The ruling...