Jharkhand assembly polls: RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha criticizes Congress-JMM alliance's "unilateral decision" on seat sharing
Oct 20, 2024
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 20 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Sunday criticized the "unilateral decision" of the Congress-JMM alliance to offer very few seats to the RJD for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly election.
He further said that while the RJD agrees with the aim of defeating the BJP, it does not support the current seat-sharing arrangement.
"Talks were held in a cordial atmosphere the day before yesterday (for the 2024 elections). Hemant Soren was present there. Emphasis was laid on the fact that we have to contest together. But a unilateral decision was taken yesterday, it was said that 7 seats are being given. When we met them again later in the evening, which I do not consider to be very cordial, the number of seats was lowered to 3-4," Jha said during a press conference in Ranchi.
He said that such a limited number of seats is unacceptable to the party and that, "3-4 seats are acceptable neither to our workers nor our voters, and not to our leaders."
Talking about their recent meetings, Jha said that the party had identified that they could support the alliance in around 60-62 seats.
"In our discussions yesterday and today, we identified that we will help the Mahagathbandhan in 60-62 seats. However, in the areas where we are strong, I will suggest that in around 14 seats we would not be able to win any of them. But it is also true that the average vote in areas where we were second is quite significant. Not many political parties have that," he said.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Saturday that the INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand Assembly polls together, with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress contesting 70 of the 81 seats in the state assembly.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its first list of 66 candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections on Saturday.
The party's state chief, Babulal Marandi, will contest from Dhanwar, Lobin Hembrom from Borio, and Sita Soren from Jamtara. Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Champai Soren has been nominated as the candidate from Saraikella, Geeta Balmuchu from Chaibasa, Geeta Koda from Jaganathpur, and Meera Munda, the wife of Union Minister Arjun Munda will contest from Potka.
Voting in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with votes to be counted on November 23.
