Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Saturday that the INDIA bloc has reached a consensus on seat-sharing for the upcoming state assembly elections. This coalition includes key partners such as Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and various Left parties.
The Seat-Sharing
The Congress and JMM will field candidates in 70 out of the 81 assembly seats. Hemant Soren emphasized that they have carefully considered various perspectives while forming this alliance. The final decision on the remaining 11 seats will be made after further consultations with alliance partners. Soren expressed confidence in the unity among the coalition members, stating they are committed to presenting a strong front.
The Jharkhand assembly polls will take place in two phases: voting on November 13 and November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.
Jharkhand Minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta confirmed that the seat-sharing negotiations were smooth, highlighting the involvement of key leaders from both Congress and the INDIA bloc team. He assured that everything is systematic and running without issues.
Just a day before the INDIA bloc’s announcement, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) revealed its own seat-sharing formula, with the BJP contesting 68 seats, the AJSU Party 10, Janata Dal (United) 2, and LJP (Ram Vilas) 1. BJP leaders have claimed that the NDA is stronger than ever in Jharkhand, united against what they describe as a “corrupt” government led by Hemant Soren.
In the previous assembly elections, the JMM won 30 seats, while the Congress secured 16 and the RJD claimed one seat. Together, these parties formed a coalition government. The BJP, on the other hand, saw a decline, winning only 25 seats compared to 37 in 2014.
As the elections approach, both the INDIA bloc and the NDA are preparing for a competitive political landscape, with each alliance aiming to gain the trust of voters in Jharkhand.
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