Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president on Wednesday announced that the party will contest at least 42 assembly seats in the upcoming assembly elections.
It can also go up, said Hemant, adding, the final contour of the alliance will be clear on Thursday, at least for those seats that would go to polls in the first two phases.
Before the announcement, the JMM executive body members discussed the pros and cons after Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) distanced itself from the grand alliance and likely seats sharing among the allies in the changed scenario.
Hemant said the first list of JMM will be announced by party president Shibu Soren, who was also present on the Wednesday meet, on November 8 and the candidates would hit the poll ground thereafter.
He said he had sought time from JVM-P chief Babulal Marandi but did not get it. “The JVM-P also did not submit the list of seats it wanted to contest to me like other parties did,” Hemant added.
Some viewed JVM-P’s departure as boon for the party underlining that the party did fare well in the triangular contest in the past. Others said a direct contest between united opposition with the BJP might yield better results.
The members also stressed on accommodating the Left parties in the GA by giving them more seats than offered earlier. The JMM had offered the five seats each to the Left parties and RJD after allotting 25 seats to the Congress.
The JMM leaders also deliberated on those seats where aspirants from both the JMM and Congress have staked claims. There are about a dozen of such seats that includes Ghatshila, Pakur, Gumla, Sisai, Gandey, Ranchi, Khijri, Bisrampur and Deoghar.
Hemant said the alliance partners have agreed to work in tandem to uproot the BJP from the state and exuded confidence that the vexed issue will be solved amicably through discussions.
The executive body also discussed the impact of inflation and rise in vegetable prices, onion in particular. Hemant said the JMM would demonstrate at all district headquarters highlighting people’s concern following the spiraling prices of commodities.
When asked whether the GA would go into the polls projecting the chief ministerial candidate or not, Hemant said: “No war is fought without a senapati (commander in chief) and no plane can take flight without a pilot.”
When asked whether he or his younger brother will contest from Dumka, Hemant said it is yet not decided. He also skirted questions on whether he would contest from two assembly seats like he did in 2014 and whether the party would depend on old guards or give chances to the new faces.
On whether the party would like to field Shibu Soren, he said it is for him to decide.
