Soren to campaign for TMC in Bengal polls

People familiar with the development said that the JMM chief would address rallies in districts neighbouring Jharkhand on Saturday and Monday in Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram.

Published on: Apr 17, 2026, 18:57:36 IST

By Vishal Kant, RANCHI

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Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and chief minister Hemant Soren will address about half- a- dozen election rallies for Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates in the ongoing West Bengal assembly elections, people familiar with the development said on Friday.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. (HT File)

People familiar with the development said that the JMM chief would address rallies in districts neighbouring Jharkhand on Saturday and Monday in Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram.

“On Saturday, he is set to address rallies in Kashipur, Manbazar (ST), Bandwan (ST) seats in Purulia district. On Monday, he is likely to address rallies in Taldangra and Raipur assembly in Bankura district and Binmpur in Jhargram district,” a JMM leader said.

The development is significant, given that the JMM is an ally of the Congress in the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand, while the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is contesting the West Bengal Assembly elections independently. It also follows closely on the heels of the Assam assembly elections, where the JMM made its electoral debut by contesting on its own and fielding candidates in 16 constituencies.

JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said JMM leaders would campaign in Bengal to defeat the BJP. “Our top leaders would campaign in West Bengal. The JMM’s only goal is to stop the BJP which is bulldozing all democratic institutions in the country,” he added.

Reacting to the development, Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti said the JMM was free to make its decision in other states. “We have a strong alliance in the state. As far as other states are concerned, the political parties make decisions according to their agenda. However, JMM’s presence would not impact the Congress party’s fortunes in West Bengal,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishal Kant
Stationed in Ranchi, Vishal is heading the Jharkhand Bureau of Hindustan Times since November 2017. Besides leading the reporting team, Vishal tracks and writes on developments related to the state politics, economy and policy matters in Jharkhand. Prior to his current assignment, Vishal used to work in New Delhi after graduating from the University of Delhi. Vishal joined HT in the rank of Assistant Editor in August 2015 and was part of the Delhi Metro Bureau, covering a host of issues in the City-state including politics, policy---especially those related to urban traffic & transport infrastructure and railways. A native of Palamu district in Jharkhand, Vishal started his two-decade long career in the mainstream media in 2006. During this period, he has has worked in different capacity with a number of national media houses including the Financial Chronicle, India Today, Deccan Herald and The Hindu, before moving to the Hindustan Times. He holds the experience of having worked in three major mediums of mass communication--Print, Electronic and Digital. He is a proud father of two daughters.Read More

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