Trinamool Congress forms new alliance in Jharkhand with two other parties

JAMSHEDPUR: Two Jharkhand-based political parties along with the Trinamool Congress today forged an alliance, the ' Jharkhand Progressive Alliance' (JPA), to contest the coming Assembly elections in the state.

A final shape to the alliance was given here at a meeting of the three parties, said former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, the chief of Jai Bharat Samanta Party (JBSP).

Koda said, apart from JBSP, the JPA would comprise of the Jharkhand Vikas Party (JVP) led by former state minister Enos Ekka and the Trinamool Congress.

Besides Koda, former Jharkhand minister and MLA Bandhu Tirkey, who was recently named the Jharkhand unit president of Trinamool, was also present in the meeting.

"It has been decided that JPA will field candidates in all 81 Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand in the coming Assembly elections," Koda said after the meeting.

A convention of the JPA would be held in Ranchi on August 24, where alliance leaders would finalise the seat sharing issue as well as the election manifesto, Koda said adding JPA would welcome all like-minded parties to the fold.

Asked about a common issue of the three parties which could become a major poll plank of the newly floated alliance, Koda said the allies would deliberate on the issues at its Ranchi meeting.