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Jharkhand assembly polls: JVM-P to go solo, Cong in damage-control mode to save grand alliance
The JVM-P was part of the opposition alliance and contested two of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. However, Babulal Marandi, the first chief minister of Jharkhand, has now called a two-day meet on November 5 and 6 for scrutiny of candidates for all the seats.
Unlike the Lok Sabha polls when the main opposition parties in Jharkhand had formed a grand alliance against the BJP-led NDA, the state could head for a three-way contest with JVM-P chief Babulal Marandi underlining that his party is preparing to contest all 81 constituencies in the upcoming assembly elections.
The JVM-P was part of the opposition alliance and contested two of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. However, Marandi, the first chief minister of Jharkhand, has now called a two-day meet on November 5 and 6 for scrutiny of candidates for all the seats.
“The JVM-P is preparing to field candidates in all 81 seats. Our party has never been against the alliance. Soon after the Lok Sabha elections, attempts were made to seal the alliance (for assembly polls) but it could not be done. Now, the election dates have been announced and it is too late for an alliance. So JVM-P would go alone in the assembly polls,” Marandi told reporters at Giridih on Sunday.
A day later, the JVM-P chief reiterated his party’s position on social media appealing to his supporters and state electors to bring his party to power. In 2014 assembly elections, JVM-P contested 73 of the 81 assembly seats in the state and won eight. However, Marandi himself lost from two seats he contested from his home district Giridih.
The JMM, Congress and the RJD all are keen on bringing Marandi on board. JMM working president Hemant Soren has been meeting leaders of the other constituents regularly. On Saturday, he also met incarcerated RJD chief Lalu Prasad and discussed seat sharing. Hemant and Marandi, however, had last met on September 5 in Dhanbad. On Monday, Hemant left for the national capital to discuss seat sharing with the top Congress leaders.
State Congress chief Rameshwar Oraon has been assigned the task to engage with Marandi on the issue. Oraon met Marandi at his residence here on Monday but refused to reveal much detail. “I met and discussed the issues in a congenial atmosphere. I requested him to remain a part of the alliance. We are still hopeful,” said Oraon.
JMM sources, however, said they are almost prepared for the JVM-P chapter being closed.
“The JVM-P is expecting around 25 seats, while around 10 are on offer. Marandi’s own assembly seat, Raj Dhanwar, is also a bone of contention. He wants to contest from there but it’s a sitting seat of CPI (ML), which is expected to be part of the opposition alliance,” said a senior JMM leader.
If the JVM-P stays out of the alliance, sources said, the JMM is likely to contest around 40 seats, Congress around 25, while the rest would be distributed between the RJD and the Left.
For Marandi acceptance of Hemant Soren as the leader of the alliance is also an issue, said JVM-P sources. “All other parties have agreed to it. But Marandi is very senior to Soren in politics. Also, he holds this view that if Hemant is declared the leader of the alliance, the non-tribal voters could polarise behind the NDA,” said a JVM-P leader not willing to be quoted.
RL Kundan, who teaches Political Science at Ranchi University, said, the stalemate could be a bargaining exercise for the JVM-P chief. “I don’t think JVM-P is currently in a position to go solo. This could be part of the bargaining exercise, both in pre- and post-poll scenario. And, if he decides to go alone, it is clear he is keeping his options open to all kind of post-poll scenario as we witnessed in Haryana.”
