Jharkhand elections: JMM-Congress to contest 70 of 81 seats, talks on with other allies

The INDIA bloc, led by Congress and JMM, will contest Jharkhand assembly elections, fielding candidates in 70 of 81 seats, leaving 11 seats for other allies.

Published on: Oct 19, 2024, 15:13:59 IST

By HT News Desk

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The INDIA bloc will contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections together, with Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) set to field candidates in 70 out of 81 seats, chief minister Hemant Soren announced on Saturday. Seat-sharing discussions are ongoing with alliance partners, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties, for the remaining 11 seats.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren during a meeting, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (PTI)

Currently, the JMM is the largest and ruling party in Jharkhand, having 30 members in the state assembly. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 25 MLAs, while Congress has 16.

ALSO READ- Jharkhand elections: BJP keeps 68 seats; allies get 13

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced schedule for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly elections on Tuesday.

ALSO READ- Jharkhand assembly election 2024: Full schedule of voting on 81 seats

The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will vote on November 13 and 20, while Maharashtra will hold a single-phase election on November 20.

ALSO READ- Congress appoints senior leaders as observers for Jharkhand, Maharashtra polls

Rahul Gandhi in Jharkhand today

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi left for Ranchi on Saturday to participate in the 'Samvidhan Samman Sammelan.' He is scheduled to address the gathering at the event in Ranchi at 3 p.m.

Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahai said, "The BJP understands only one narrative. But Rahul Gandhi, who walked across the country, spread a message of love to unite the nation. He is here to speak for the downtrodden, whose voices are rarely heard. This program was planned much earlier, and he is coming for that."

ALSO READ- SC stays CBI probe against Jharkhand cops for alleged coal pilferage

Congress likely to issue first list of candidates today

AICC general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir stated on Thursday that the first list of Congress candidates will be released after October 19. "Like in 2019, we will contest the assembly elections with our alliance partners. The seat-sharing has been nearly finalized, and a final decision will be made soon," Mir said.

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HT News Desk
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