Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct !9: While the BJP-led NDA had on Friday announced seat-wise understanding among the alliance partners to contest the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, the Indian National Inclusive, Developmental Alliance (INDIA) bloc of the opposition parties could only decide a broad framework of seat-sharing between various parties on Saturday giving signs of disagreement among the coalition.
The Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Saturday announced that his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress together would contest 70 seats while the remaining 11 seats had been left for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the left parties to decide among them. Mr Soren was accompanied by Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir in Ranchi.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had on Friday announced the seat-sharing formula which included BJP contesting in 68 seats, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) in 10, Janata Dal (United) 2 and Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) given 1 seat.
Sharing the information Mr Soren told the media in Ranchi, “Every political party is doing their preparation for the Assembly election and people are keen to know which party will contest on how many seats. We INDIA bloc have taken this election seriously and every aspect is being scrutinized. This election left parties are also part of our alliance. Out of 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand, JMM and Congress will contest 70 seats whereas in the remaining 11 seats, RJD and left parties will contest.”
In the 2019 assembly election, JMM contested on 43 and won 30 seats, Congress contested on 31 and won 16 seats whereas RJD contested on 7 seats but won only one seat. With the merger of Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) in CPI(ML), the left party had demanded more seats as being the part of the INDIA bloc in Jharkhand. At present Bagodar seat is represented by Vinod Kumar Singh of CPI-ML who is supporting Soren’s government.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were in Ranchi on Saturday and scheduled to hold talks with Mr Soren over the assembly seats and candidates. Mr Gandhi is in the state capital of Ranchi to attend Samvidhan Samman Sammelan.
Asked about the exact number of seat sharing between the allies, Mr Soren said, “At present we have only decided the number of seats and other information regarding the exact seat would be shared soon. At present, I cannot share much information because some of our partners are not present right now. Once they are here we will share all the information be it the number of seats, candidates and assembly constituencies.”
According to the sources CPI-ML is eyeing on Dhanwar, Bagodar, Nirsa Sindri and Jamua seat where the party has a support base. Similarly, RJD is eyeing Manika, Bhawnathpur, Garhwa, Jamua, Jarmundi and Chatra.
Meanwhile the Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 19, reportedly directed the state government to remove Anurag Gupta from the position of Acting Director General of Police (DGP) with immediate effect, the sources said.
Jharkhand election would be completed in two phase with first phase of polling on November 13 and second phase of polling on November 20 whereas counting of votes take place on November 23. The nomination for the first phase commenced on Friday.
Attacking the Hemant Soren government, the BJP leader Babulal Marandi had said, “The people of Jharkhand has faced lot of difficulties, be it farmers, women, youths and other. We only have the motive to develop Jharkhand and give social security to everyone. I remember that Hemant Soren had sworn on the name of his father Shibu Soren that if he didn’t fulfill the promises he would retire. How, will people trust a man who swore on the name of his father but does nothing. He has cheated the people of Jharkhand.”
In the last elections, the JMM had contested 43 seats while Congress contested 31 seats. But this time around, the Congress is likely to get somewhere between 27 to 28 seats, sources said. The JMM is expected to increase its share because it believed that Hemant Soren was a key face in Jharkhand and the grand alliance would get votes on his name, they added.
According to the sources, the Communist Party of India (M-L) and Marxist Coordination Committee (MMC) also want to join forces with the JMM and Congress in this election. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, which fought on seven seats in the last assembly polls, is expected to contest fewer seats this time and agree to give the Bagodar seat to CPI (M-L) and Nirsa to MMC, they added.
“NDA is at its strongest in Jharkhand so far. It has never been in history that four parties have come together to fight the elections. NDA allies are even ready to swap their seats at the last moment if needed. We are ready to throw the corrupt government off the seat. All NDA members should come and fight with us. Hemant Soren’s government is the most corrupt in the state’s history,” the BJP leader Pratul Shah Deo said.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the JMM won 30 of the 81 seats, the Congress 16 and the RJD won one seat. The three parties formed a coalition government with a comfortable majority. The BJP won 25 seats, down from 37 in 2014, while the AJSU Party, contesting alone, ended up winning two seats.
About 2.60 crore electors, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters, 1.13 lakh persons with disabilities (PwD), and senior citizens over 85 years of age, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections in Jharkhand.