JMM’s Hemant meets Rahul, seals J’khand alliance

RANCHI: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday and finalised a proposed alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections later this year, according to senior statelevel functionaries from both parties.

A senior JMM leader said that given past acrimony and a split between the JMM and the Congress after the last assembly polls in 2014, Thursday’s meeting also assuaged apprehensions between the two sides.

“It has been decided that the Congress will lead the alliance and contest a greater number of seats from the state in the Lok Sabha polls, while the JMM will lead the alliance and do the same in the assembly elections,” said Rajesh Thakur, media incharge, Jharkhand Congress.

Soren has held meetings with other senior Congress leaders and leaders from the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), or the JVM (P), and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) — the other two constituents of the proposed alliance in Jharkhand. Leaders from the four parties suggested that a formula has been worked out for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state - Congress seven seats, JMM four, JVM (P) two, and RJD one.

LK Kundan, associate professor of political science at Ranchi university, said, “I don’t think such a gathbandan will create magic in Jharkand. Even if they win the election, the pact may not be fruitful in the long run.”