After rout, Congress admits split with JMM a mistake

The decision, the party’s top leadership said, was taken at the instance of the state unit.

Having suffered a rout in Jharkhand, the Congress high command Tuesday said the party made a tactical mistake by snapping ties with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The decision, the party’s top leadership said, was taken at the instance of the state unit. It cost the party dearly and the division in “secular” votes helped the BJP, said the Congress.

“We should have gone to the polls in alliance with the JMM. The local leadership felt otherwise. They wanted to go alone,” AICC general secretary in charge of Jharkhand B K Hariprasad told The Indian Express.

The gamble of going to polls with an alliance with smaller parties RJD and JD(U) has backfired and now the question is of fixing accountability for the disaster.

“We are opposed to it, but in the end the central leadership will have to go with the views of the state unit,” Hariprasad said, adding that the decision boomeranged as the Congress did not have strong local leadership.

“It would have been proper to bring all non-BJP parties on one platform. Results in Jharkhand would have been much better for us in that scenario. BJP has got only 30 per cent or so votes while non-BJP parties together have polled almost 70 per cent votes,” state Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said.

The results also revealed that rallies by Rahul Gandhi did little to help the Congress cause. Only two of the eight candidates Rahul campaigned for won. Except for the second spot in one segment, Congress nominees finished third or fourth in the remaining five constituencies.

In comparison, six of the nine candidates Narendra Modi campaigned for won. The grand alliance between Congress, RJD and JD(U) turned into a farce as the three parties nominated candidates against each other in at least eight constituencies. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the alliance could have added at least two more seats if they stuck together.

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At Manika, the BJP’s candidate won by polling 31,583 votes, the RJD candidate got 30,500 while the Congress’s got 27,731 votes. At Chatarpur, the BJP’s candidate won by polling 43,843, RJD got 37,962 while JD(U) bagged 10,104.

While the Congress’s decision to snap ties with the JMM hurt the party, two people who pushed for the split gained. While Alamgir Alam won from Pakur, Furkan Ansari ensured the victory of son Irfan Ansari from Jamtara.

Manoj C.G

Manoj C G currently serves as the Chief of National Political Bureau at The Indian Express. A veteran journalist with a career spanning nearly two decades, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the publication's coverage of India's political landscape. Experience & Career: Manoj has built a robust career in political journalism, marked by a transition from wire service reporting to in-depth newspaper analysis. The Indian Express (2008 – Present): He joined the organization in 2008 and has risen to lead the National Political Bureau, overseeing key political coverage. Press Trust of India (PTI): Prior to his tenure at The Indian Express, Manoj worked with India’s premier news agency, PTI, honing his skills in breaking news and accurate reporting. Expertise & Focus Areas: As a seasoned political observer, Manoj focuses on the nuances of governance and party dynamics. National Politics: extensive reporting on the central government, parliamentary affairs, and national elections. Political Strategy: Deep analysis of party structures, coalition politics, and the shifting ideologies within the Indian political spectrum. Bureau Leadership: directing a team of reporters to cover the most critical developments in the nation's capital. Authoritativeness & Trust: Manoj’s authoritativeness is grounded in his nearly 20 years of field experience and his leadership role at a legacy newspaper. His long-standing association with The Indian Express underscores a reputation for consistency, editorial integrity, and rigorous reporting standards required of a Bureau Chief. Find all stories by Manoj C G here. ... Read More