Assembly elections announced in Jharkhand; Congress, JMM, JD(U), RJD step up efforts to prop up anti-BJP alliance in the state

NEW DELHI: The announcement of Assembly elections in Jharkhand has given momentum to the efforts of four parties to prop up an anti-BJP alliance in the state. Senior Congress functionary AK Antony, who is heading a party panel mandated to explore Congress’ electoral alliances, is expected to meet senior leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ( JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United) this week in Delhi in an attempt to clinch the seatsharing formula.

While the Congress, RJD and JD (U) – which are seeing the Jharkhand poll as a test-case for next year’s Bihar elections – have already agreed to fight together, the JMM, which has a track record of tying up with the Congress and BJP on different occasions, is still bargaining hard. The fact the JMM is seeking some seats contested by the Congress in the previous elections is causing heartburn among some party leaders in the state who argue that Shibu Soren’s party could also keep its post-poll options with the BJP open. "The Congress is for a broader alliance of likeminded parties in Jharkhand to fight against the BJP in next month’s Assembly polls. We have already had talks with leaders of the JMM, RJD and JD (U). The final work on the alliance will be done by the AK Antony panel along with the leaders of our potential allies," said BK Hariprasad, Congress general secretary incharge of Jharkhand. Hariprasad also rejected senior state Congress leader Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu’s statement opposing an alliance with the JMM.

"The collective decision of all senior Congress leaders of Jharkhand is to go for a broader alliance with like-minded parties including JMM. My colleague Balmuchu is also party to that decision," he said. Incidentally, the JMM is demanding a seat which Balmuchu was nurturing for his daughter to contest.

Hariprasad has already held talks with JMM leader and state chief minister Hemant Soren, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s emissary Prem Gupta and JD (U)’s national president Sharad Yadav, who is also coordinating the efforts for a larger anti-BJP alliance. The emergence of the resurgent BJP as a common threat to the Congress as well the regional parties is working as a political compulsion for these parties to join hands against the saffron party. Yet, the JMM, which had won 18 seats and emerged as the single-largest party along with the BJP in the previous Assembly polls, is bargaining hard for a major share of seats .