Jharkhand elections: JMM-Cong disagree over seat sharing; RJD unhappy

Jharkhand Assembly polls: Seat-sharing dispute is causing unrest among Congress ranks as some leaders are unhappy with JMM being given high-profile constituencies like Ranchi and Bhawnathpur

A day after announcing the seat-sharing arrangement for Jharkhand Assembly elections, divisions within the INDIA bloc became evident on Sunday (October 20). The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) expressed dissatisfaction with the agreed distribution of seats, labelling it as ‘unilateral’.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren had announced that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress would jointly contest 70 out of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand, leaving the remaining seats for their other coalition partners. However, RJD MP Manoj Jha openly criticised the arrangement, stating that his party had not been adequately consulted and demanding a larger share.

Jha told reporters in Ranchi that fewer than 12-13 seats would not be acceptable, claiming the RJD has significant influence in 18-20 constituencies. Although Jha mentioned the party could contest alone, he added that the RJD remains committed to the goal of defeating the BJP. He added that even if the RJD decides to contest the elections alone, it would still support the Opposition bloc in most constituencies.

 

Jharkhand elections: JMM-Congress standoff over seats
 

Tensions are also simmering between the JMM and Congress over certain constituencies. Disagreements arose when the Congress leadership sought to allocate more seats to the RJD from the JMM’s share. According to a report in The Indian Express, a conversation between Hemant Soren and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal ended on a sour note due to these differences.

Under the initial agreement, the JMM was expected to contest 50 seats and provide for Left parties from its share, while the Congress would take 31. The RJD’s allocation was to come from the Congress’s portion. A JMM leader criticised the RJD’s demands, saying, “If the Congress wants to accommodate the RJD, it should come from their quota, not ours.”

Jharkhand elections: Discontent within Congress?
 

The seat-sharing disagreement has also caused unrest among Congress ranks. Some leaders expressed frustration over key seats going to the JMM, including high-profile constituencies like Ranchi and Bhawnathpur. Former Congress MLA Anant Pratap Deo, who left the party for the BJP but later joined the JMM, is now expected to receive a JMM ticket. This has reportedly disheartened Congress workers, who have appealed to Rahul Gandhi’s office for intervention.

A senior Congress leader told The Indian Express that the party might reduce its expectations from 29 seats to 25 due to the ongoing stalemate. However, the party’s grassroots workers say such an arrangement would relegate Congress to being JMM’s second fiddle, especially as Soren has already staked his claim to the CM’s chair.

The INDIA bloc’s final list of candidates is expected within the next 24-48 hours.