The political atmosphere in Jharkhand is heating up as the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates of polling for the upcoming Assembly elections. The stage is set for a ‘no-holds-barred’ fight between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc. However, while the BJP enjoys an amiable seat-sharing arrangement, Congress faces a challenge as its alliance parties demand a more “respectable” share in the state’s assembly.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its initial list of 66 candidates for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections, withholding names for the Barhait and Tundi constituencies. Among the notable candidates, BJP’s state chief Babulal Marandi will contest from Dhanwar, while former Chief Minister and JMM-turned-BJP leader Champai Soren will run from Saraikella.
The BJP will contest 68 out of the 81 assembly seats, leaving 13 seats for its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies: AJSU Party, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas). The seat-sharing arrangement allocates 68 seats to the BJP, 10 to AJSU Party, two to JD(U), and one to LJP (Ram Vilas). Notably, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has been excluded from the seat-sharing agreement.
Internal Struggles within the INDIA Bloc
The INDIA bloc, comprising opposition parties, is experiencing internal conflicts. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a junior member of the bloc, has threatened to contest the elections independently but has not yet broken away from the alliance. Left parties are also demanding a “respectable” share of seats.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently announced that the INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls together. According to the seat-sharing talks, the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will field candidates in 70 of the 81 seats leaving just 11 for RJD and the Left parties. However, the RJD has labeled this arrangement as “unilateral.”
Seat-Sharing Disputes
Tensions are rising between the JMM and the Congress due to the latter’s demand to allocate more seats to the RJD from the JMM’s quota. RJD MP Manoj Jha suggested that the RJD might be offered seven seats, while the Left parties would get the remaining five. Jha has criticized the seat-sharing deal, calling it “unilateral” and advocating for more seats for his party. He emphasized that the RJD has a strong presence in 15-18 constituencies and that less than 12-13 seats would be unacceptable.
Jha stated, “Our sole aim is to defeat the BJP. We will not sabotage the INDIA bloc… Even if we go solo in Jharkhand polls, we will support INDIA bloc candidates in 60-62 seats.”
Challenges for Hemant Soren
According to a report by the Indian Express, Congress was supposed to share 31 seats with the RJD while the Left parties were to be given share of JMM’s 50 seats. However, a deal for 70 seats has been struck between Congress and JMM, of which 41 are expected to go to the JMM and 29 to the Congress. However, with RJD showing discontent over its piece of the pie, the complexities have increased.
Congress expects JMM is to increase its share, relying on Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whose recent arrest by Central agencies in a corruption case has sparked strong reactions among the party’s supporters. The majority mark in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is 42. Both the Congress and the RJD are likely to be ensuring that JMM does not achieve a majority on its own, thereby maintaining their bargaining power post-election. This situation puts pressure on Hemant Soren to accommodate allies and avert the BJP challenge.
Polling in Jharkhand is scheduled to take place in two phases, with the results to be announced on November 23.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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