Discord in INDIA alliance: After RJD snubbed, Congress-JMM differences over seat-sharing out in the open in Jharkhand

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday announced that his party and the Congress would contest 70 of the 81 seats in the state, with the rest for the other coalition partners. Hours later, RJD MP Manoj Jha said the decision was “unilateral” and sought more tickets. Jha told reporters in Ranchi that “less than 12-13 seats” was not acceptable to his party, claiming that the RJD has a stronghold in 18-20 constituencies. “Our sole aim is to defeat the BJP, we will not sabotage the INDIA bloc,” said the Rajya Sabha MP, adding that even if the party decides to go solo in the elections, it will back the Opposition alliance’s candidates in 60-62 constituencies.

On the deadlock between the Congress and the JMM over some seats, sources in the latter said Soren was miffed with the Congress central leadership. “Hemant Soren had a conversation with Congress general secretary for organisation K C Venugopal and there were certain disagreements over seat-sharing, with the latter asking that the RJD be given more seats from JMM’s quota. The conversation did not end on a happy note.”

Sources said as per the agreed-upon formula, the JMM was supposed to get 50 seats and accommodate Left parties from its quota. The remaining 31 were to go to the Congress, with the RJD expected to get its share from the grand old party’s slice of the pie.“The RJD is talking without any basis, leading to issues. It is calculating runners-up, but we are seeing winners and they won one seat. If the Congress wants to accommodate RJD, then they should do it from their quota. Nationally, the RJD and the Congress are allies. Why bother the JMM, a regional party?” asked a JMM leader.

Another JMM source said in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the party had demanded three seats, including the Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat of Katoria. “However, the RJD did not budge and now they want us to accommodate them,” said the leader, adding that the differences would “eventually be resolved”.

Of the 70 seats for which a deal has been struck, 41 are expected to go to the JMM and 29 to the Congress. However, with the RJD matter popping up, the complexities have increased. Sources said the Congress state leadership was in New Delhi to discuss the matter with the party’s high command.

“With the Haryana elections not being in our favour, the JMM is arm-twisting us. For instance, BJP’s sitting MLA from Jamua, Kedar Hazra, and AJSUP’s Uma Kant Rajak from Chandankyari joined the JMM and they will be fielded. First, these BJP leaders approached Congress but the JMM was quick enough to make deals with them,” said a Congress leader.

Sources said while a high-profile seat such as Ranchi was expected to go to the JMM, some Congress leaders had laid a claim on it. In the Bhawnathpur constituency, former Congress MLA and former BJP leader Anant Pratap Deo has now joined the JMM and sources said it was likely he would get the ticket. “This is going out of our hands,” said a local Congress leader. “Anant Pratap Deo quit the Congress to join the BJP and now the JMM is set to reward him with a ticket. This is against the coalition dharma and has been communicated to the state leadership of our party. It seems that we have become the JMM’s second fiddle.”

Sources said local party workers had written to senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s office about how this had demoralised them. “Manas Sinha, former working president of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee had been working in the seat for the last 10 years building organisation. Instead, the seat was given to a former Congress leader who insulted the party and joined the BJP and now he is in the JMM. This has led to a widespread slump in the cadre morale,” said a Congress leader.

Congress leaders said in the last election the party did not contest in six districts and the Bhawnathpur and Jamua seats had gone to the JMM. This time, the party is set to lose out on contesting from eight districts, they added. Bhawnathpur, a Congress leader said, borders Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh and giving up on the seat sends a message to party workers in all three states.

A senior Congress leader said that given the deadlock, the party would have to reduce its expectation from 29 to 25 seats. “If this happens, then our desperation will be clear. The Congress should have also played hard as it is Hemant Soren who wants to be the CM,” the leader said. Sources said it would take another 24-48 hours for the INDIA bloc to release its list of candidates.

— With PTI inputs