Cong, JMM seal pact in Jharkhand

The Congress and JMM have managed to sew up an alliance against the BJP-NDA in Jharkhand. But they will have a "friendly'' contest in Koderma and Rajmahal.

The Congress and JMM have managed to sew up an alliance against the BJP-NDA in Jharkhand. But they will have a "friendly'' contest in Koderma and Rajmahal, which the JMM has been insisting on. The Congress had represented these seats in the 13th Lok Sabha.

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The JMM has got Dumka, Giridih and Jamshedpur. The Congress, the RJD and the CPI will put up candidates in the remaining nine seats.

The pact was sealed after JMM leaders Shibu Soren, Stephen Marandi, Durga Soren and Mukti Nath Upadhaya met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday. The agreement has come as relief to the Congress, which could not strike an alliance in UP and is struggling to finalise its arrangement with the RJD in Bihar.

The CPI will contest fromHazaribag. But a final decision remains to be taken on the RJD’s demand for Palamu and Chatra.

The JMM will contest the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat in Orissa. Earlier, the Congress also released the third list of 31 candidates.