Cong-JMM Alliance on Rocks: JMM To Contest All 14 LS Seats, says Shibu Soren

Sibu Soren, President, JMM

Subodh Kant Sahay, MP, Ranchi

The understanding and pact that led to formation of the JMM led coalition government in Jharkhand with the support of the Congress Party is under threat of breaking down. Hemant Soren, son of Shibu Soren was installed as the chief minister only a few months back by the Congress though many leaders of the Congress were opposed to striking deal with the JMM in Ranchi. But the Party managers went ahead saying that in lieu of supporting Soren, the JMM will spare 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand. This was the understanding between the two parties that led to the formation of the coalition government in Ranchi in which Congress shares power in Jharkhand. The deal was struck.

In a sudden change of stance, Shibu Soren, the JMM chief has come out with a statement in Ranchi that no undertaking was given to the Congress about leaving 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. Shibu Soren says that his Party has already indentified 7 seats to put up candidates and will also contest in the remaining 7 seats. This means a break of the ties. But the Congress leaders hope that Shibu Soren is in the habit of rocking the boat of alliance and that in no case the Congress would climb down on its claim to contest 10 of the 14 seats in Jharkhand.

I am of the view that the JMM would keep the Congress leaders on the Tenterhooks so that in the end the two parties share fifty-fifty of the total seats, that is Congress and JMM would contest 7 seats each. Earlier it was expected that the Congress would spare at least one seat to Lalu Yadav’s RJD in the Lok Sabha elections. But with little or no hope of a tie between the Congress and the RJD following withdrawal of the Ordinance to protect convicted MPs/MLAs leading to Lalu landing in jail and losing his Lok Sabha seat as per the verdict of the Supreme Court, the Congress will contest all the ten seats even in the face of some so called ‘friendly’ contest with its partner JMM in select constituencies.

In the 2009 general elections, the Congress was able to win only one seat of Ranchi and the BJP had won 7 of the 14 seats. In the next elections, the BJP is trying to placate Babulal Marandi, first BJP chief minister of Jharkhand who broke away from the Party after he was replaced by Arjun Munda. Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Manch had won two LS seats in 2009. This time around, Marandi who had won Kodarma seat is said to be not keen to contest Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has opened dialogue with Marandi but the latter would budge only when he is given the command of the BJP in Jharkhand. Now it is for the Central leadership of the Party to decide whether to accede to Marandi’s demand or go alone in the polls.

For now the Congress is again in the catch 22 position. If JMM denies to spare 10 seats as promised, the Congress may pull out of the coalition that will bring down  Hemant Soren Government in Ranchi that appears unlikely since JMM’s stakes are in Jharkhand and not in the Central Government.

~R. K. Sinha